Fire in the Skies
by TrinityFox
Summary: An OC x Zuko fanfic following the ATLA basic plot. Beginning when Zuko is seven. Still in progress
1. Your New Friend

**Author's Note :: **Another fanfic...amazing, I know. It's not Zutara, but it will follow the ATLA plotline, don't worry. So, it's more or less a Zuko x OC story starting off when Zuko is seven. Woo! Anyway, Read and Review and I really hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer :: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. I only own the stories I write and the characters I create myself.

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**Fire in the Skies**

_-- Your New Friend --_

"Prince Zuko, Fire Lady Ursa has requested you join her at the turtle-duck pond."

"When?"

"Lady Ursa said it was preferred now, Prince Zuko."

"Alright, alright…I'm coming." The seven year old prince stated, his golden eyes tearing away from the scroll he had been reading. He quickly turned away from the direction in which the messenger had set out in. He made his way towards the turtle-duck pond from there, taking various turns to find the courtyard. He could see the back of his mother's head, her long black hair flowing in the slight breeze that came from the middle of this day.

He grinned softly as he approached her, the black hair that emanated from his pony tail floating behind him. The prince was dressed in classic fire nation wear, with red slacks trimmed with gold, black boots, and the classic red tunic trimmed in gold. His golden eyes caught sight of another figure sitting with his mother, a young girl around the age of Zuko, however, she looked to be maybe a year or two older than him. He entered his mother's and the girl's field of vision and he bowed to them both, a small smile upon his face as he surfaced from said bow. His mother smiled in return and the girl bowed her head. The older woman's pale hand patted a patch of grass beside her, her golden eyes gazing up at her son with love and affection. Truly Zuko's mother favored him over his little sister, Azula. Their father, Fire Prince Ozai, favored the princess more for her skilled abilities in fire-bending. But Zuko had their mother and that was really who mattered to him the most.

Zuko followed suit and sat down at a forty-five degree angle in front of his mother, smiling up at her. He could feel the girl's eyes upon him as his mother's mouth opened to introduce the pair.

"Zuko, this is Kaida. Kaida, this is my son, Zuko."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Zuko." Her voice was soft, like that of a loose petal or feather floating down upon the breeze. However, it still held confidence in it that was hidden somewhere within that soft drone. It was enchanting, really.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, as well, Kaida" Zuko responded, getting a smile from the girl in front of him. His eyes darted towards his mother, wondering who exactly this girl was, though he was all manners in front of her.

"Kaida has come to live with us. Her mother was a good friend of mine and has recently passed. Her father passed a few years back…"

"I have no where else to go. And Ursa has always shown the utmost kindness to me and my family."

"Of course, you have always been welcome into my life, dearest " Ursa smiled down at the girl, this…Kaida, who was smiling softly as she watched the turtle-ducks in the pond before her.

"So…does that mean she's my new sister…?" Zuko asked, a tad confused.

"Oh no. Not at all. She'll simply be living with us. Her parents were members of the Fire Nation Court, after all…"

"I don't want a new family…just a place to stay." She stated, nodding quietly.

"Oh. Right." He stated as he watched her, wondering where she hailed from. He had never heard of her nor any of her parents in the court. Then again, he wasn't allowed into the court meetings. Especially since he was only seven years old. A messenger came up to the group of three once again, the same one who had summoned Zuko a bit ago. He had a note for his mother from his father. She took it and read over it, something about being requested in the court again with Zuko's grandfather. She nodded and handed the parchment back to the man before she stood, her Fire Nation robes falling down to the grass with a soft rustle.

"Fire Lord Azulon requests my presence. I will get back to you two later." She stated, spinning on her heels with a flare of robes and hair. Zuko's golden eyes watched her go while Kaida simply continued to watch the little flock of turtle-ducks swimming in the pond.

When he could no longer see his mother, he turned back to the girl. Kaida had pulled out a roll from a pocket in her robes and was tearing it apart for the animals in front of her.

"So, how old are you, Prince Zuko?" She asked, holding out a torn piece for the mother of the little family of them.

"Just call me Zuko, please. And I'm seven." He stated, smiling proudly.

"Fun. I remember being seven…" She stated, her voice trailing off into the distance as she continued to feed the animals that were currently clambering over her legs.

"How old are you, Kaida?" He asked, tilting his head slightly in question.

"Nine. I'll be turning Ten in just a few months, though."

"Really? I'm turning eight next month."

"Wonderful." She stated, smiling at him even though her attention was spent on the turtle-ducks.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Little ZuZu got himself a girlfriend? I thought you were saving yourself for Mai." Another female voice could be heard. T'was the voice of little six year old Azula. Both Kaida and Zuko looked up at the mocking girl.

"She's not my girlfriend, Azula!" He stated, blushing fiercely.

"Oh? Then what is she? A slave? You know how father doesn't like it when you mingle with the slaves, ZuZu." She stated, still mocking the pair as Kaida finished feeding the bread to the ducklings. She smiled and leaned back, listening to their conversation and yet still managing to ignore every word the princess was saying.

"No. She's not. Her mom was a friend of -"

"Right, I don't care. Anyway, Dad is holding a council with Dad today. It's about becoming Fire Lord. Interested?"

"No, Azula. You know Uncle Iroh is supposed to be Fire Lord next."

"Yes, well. Since his son Lu Ten died so tragically in the war, the old bat is coming home. And Dad doesn't think it should be that way with no heirs." Her voice was filled with a mock sarcastic poison as she spoke of their father's elder brother.

"Princess Azula, why are you concerning yourself with such matters when you are not the one who will get to rule the throne. You will never be able to do so, will you? So why speak of such treason?" Kaida spoke up, looking up at the three year younger princess with sterling green eyes. Azula stepped back when the calm voice of the older girl began to sound, furrowing her brows with defeat. The princess flipped her bangs away from her face with a pale hand before huffing and turning on her heels to storm off. Zuko turned to Kaida, a look of awe upon his face.

"How…how did you do that?"

"She's your _younger_ sister, right?"

"Um…yeah…?"

"Shouldn't you be standing up for yourself, then?"

"Oh…um…I guess…" Zuko stated, blushing slightly as Kaida made movements to get up.

"And besides, I did it by not letting her get to me. That's something you do way to easily…"

"Oh…um…right."

"Well, I'm off. Have fun avoiding your sister." She stated, and with one swift movement, she did a quick spin to get into a standing position. From there, she turned on her heel and headed back towards the palace, a small smile upon her quiet features.


	2. Disappear

**Author's Note :: **Yay! So I finally got Chapter Two up and running. Yay me! x3 This chapter has a bit more...drama in it, I suppose. x3 Anyway, enjoy and please read and review! 3

**Disclaimer :: **I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike and Bryan. The only things that Mike and Bryan don't own are my stories and the characters I create. Though I'm going to absolutely laugh my ass off if they bring someone like Kaida into the show...though I do doubt that.

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Fire in the Skies

_-- Disappear --_

"Dad's going to kill you." The younger girl's voice mocked the prince as he and Kaida walked along the corridors from the kitchen. They had just finished begging rolls off of the cooks and were headed off towards the turtle-duck pond.

"What are you talking about, Azula?"

"Oh nothing. Just Dad's going to kill you. Literally."

"Zuko, ignore her. Keep walking." With Kaida's voice, Azula glared at the older girl as she followed them. That nine year old know it all was becoming too much of a hassle right now. She was teaching Zuko to ignore his sister, which meant that she had to dig deeper to hit his nerves. He head turned eight last week, and now the pair were only a year off in an age difference. Yes, it had already been a little over a month since the girl came to live in the palace, and he and Kaida had grown to be fast friends.

"Right."

"Zuko, I'm not kidding. Dad is really, really going to kill you." With that statement, all seriousness in her voice, it made Zuko stop dead and spin 'round on his heels. There was an expression of wonderment and fear upon his pale face. With the boy's sudden stop, Kaida stopped and turned on her heels as well, her silver-green eyes concerned as she looked from the boy to the girl. Azula had a smug smirk up on her face as she looked at her nails, not really caring that her father had threatened her brother's life.

"What are you talking about, Azula?"

"Just the fact that Dad disrespected Grandpa. And now, Grandpa is going to make Dad kill you, his only son and heir."

"…What do you mean?"

"You remember Dad's meeting with Grandpa last month, don't you?"

"…Yes…?"

"I told you Dad wanted the throne, and now Dad is going to kill you to know what it feels like to lose a son."

"No…he…he wouldn't!"

"Oh, but he would, ZuZu!" With that, the twisted little girl grinned at her older brother and spun on her heels, sauntering off towards the end of the hall opposite both Kaida and Zuko. Kaida hung her head and Zuko looked absolutely mortified.

"I told you to ignore her, Zuko…"

"But…she was…she was serious, wasn't she?"

"Ignore her. Do not worry of the future when it still has yet to be decided."

"…Right…" But he didn't want to believe her, he wanted to believe his sister. No matter how terrible that truth may have been, it was exactly that - the truth. The seriousness in her voice could not be mistaken. There was no hint of sarcasm in that twisted girl's voice. Not like normal.

----

Kaida sat beside the turtle-duck pond, her long raven hair flowing behind her in a soft breeze. The moon had risen high in the sky, and the nine year old could not sleep. She leaned back onto the palm of her hands, though she still held onto a posture that made her back arch forward slightly. Her pale skin glinted in the moonlight above as she closed her eyes, in a sort of meditative sleep. Her eyes were something of a mystical, odd color for a Fire Nation citizen. They were a mix somewhere between being silver and an emerald green. Her hair was something of interest as well. It was definitely a cut that was not seen normally in the fire nation - especially for a girl of only nine. Her straight hair fell down in a waterfall of raven black where it ended in a straight line along the top of her rump. Her bangs fell down to just past her brows, framing her face as they curved around her jaw. She wore a loose silk crimson tunic and a pair of silk black

A sigh escaped her lips as she could hear someone else creeping up on her from behind. Kaida immediately spun round, rising out of her sitting position as she did so. She faced the person before her in a fighting stance, as she had been trained to do by her mother. The moonlight glinted off the face before her and she immediately relaxed.

"Ursa? What are you doing out here this late at night?" The nine year old asked, approaching the cloaked woman with a few steps.

"I could ask you the same thing, Kaida. But I must leave. I have already said my goodbyes to Zuko and I need you to promise me something."

"…Where are you going?"

"You cannot know. I'm sorry. But I need to hurry. Again, can you promise me something?" The girl slowly nodded, eyes holding confusion, question, and the beginnings of tears. Ursa knelt and took Kaida by the shoulders, looking into the young girl's eyes with compassion.

"Take care of Zuko. Do not leave him or betray him. Understand?" Kaida nodded slowly, blinking away tears as she was wrapped up in the fire princess' arms in a silent hug.

"Thank you, Kaida. Now, I have to go. I'm sorry for what I have done, but it was terribly necessary." With that, the woman stood once more, folded the hood over her head and walked away from the garden quietly, to whatever her fate may have been at that point.

Kaida's eyes still held tears in them as she made her way to Zuko's room. Surely he was awake and worried and scared and crying…just as she was. She arrived at the prince's quarters in a matter of minutes, but when she slipped past the large doors to where he lay in his massive bed. However, there were no lights flickering, nor a silhouette of the prince sitting up in his bed. There were no sounds of sobbing or heavy breathing…only the sounds of his deep breathing. What was he doing? His mother had just left them all and he was sleeping. Maybe Ursa never woke him. But no, she said…oh, whatever. Kaida was too upset to deal with it at that moment.

So, the nine year old merely made her way over to the edge of the bed. Her rump sat down on the satin covers as she hung her head, hair obscuring her face. She silently let the tears flow down her cheeks as she awaited the sleeping prince's awakening.

----

Zuko dreamt that his mother had come in late at night, dressed in the crimson robes of the fire nation. She apologized to him for all that she had done and told him that Kaida would be there for him no matter what. Then a kiss came from her lips onto his forehead and she said good bye. Ursa then left her son's room, with a flip of her hood and only one last look back. Then the dream ended and Zuko went back into a dreamless sleep.

Then he awoke and saw Kaida sitting on the edge of his bed. Bags were under her beautiful eyes and she had tear stains down her cheeks. He sat up, concern in his eyes. He crawled over to her, his chest bare and his lower half covered by a pair of red silk pajamas. A pale hand reached over to touch her shoulder, but she turned away.

"Kaida? What's wrong?" The only response was her shaking her head.

"Why don't you go get Mom? I'm -" He blinked slowly as he watched Kaida crumple, falling onto the floor in a heap of crying mess…

"…Kaida…? Where's Mom?"


	3. The Meeting

_**Author's Note : **I finally got off my lazy bum to get the third chapter of Fire in the Skies up here. Again, it's a Zuko x OC fanfiction, so yeah. I'll probably throw in some Zutara somewhere along the line...maybe. I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I ask you to please read and review so that I can get the next chatper up as soon as possible. Thank you guys very much, I hope you enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer : **I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike and Bryan. The only things that Mike and Bryan don't own are my stories and the characters I create. Though I'm going to absolutely laugh my ass off if they bring someone like Kaida into the show...though I do doubt that._

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****Fire in the Skies**_

_-- The Meeting --_

Kaida and Zuko walked down the halls of the Fire Nation palace. Just like they had done for the past five years. Kaida was now fourteen years old, a tall and gangly thing, having reached her growth spurt the year before. Standing at five feet and seven inches, the girl was still growing and developing. Zuko, on the other hand, was thirteen years old. He had not yet hit his growth spurt and was still stuck at the short height of five feet and two inches.

Zuko kept his shoulder-length hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Where as Kaida was proud of her long hair and let it flow free. They both wore the traditional clothing for the fire nation - Kaida in a crimson and gold kimono and Zuko in the traditional crimson and black uniform of the fire nation nobles. They were on their way to the war meeting…where Kaida had been invited to join Zuko's Uncle Iroh in the matters of war. Kaida was a peaceful person, so Zuko didn't see why Uncle had invited her instead of him…but he would ask his Uncle that he could join as well. They reached the meeting chamber in a few minutes and Kaida watched timidly as the generals and admirals entered. Zuko caught sight of his uncle and began dragging Kaida off towards him and out of her daze.

"Uncle! Please, can I join? I'm thirteen. Kaida's only fourteen and she's a woman. She hates war. Why can she go and I not?" Zuko asked, causing his uncle to look at him and raise his brow.

"You are too young, Prince Zuko. Lady Kaida, on the other hand, has matured far beyond her years and deserves to know what matters of war are going on. She will understand them far better than you would."

"But Uncle, please, I -"

"Hush. If I allow you to come to this meeting, you must promise not to say a word, Prince Zuko. The matters of war should not be in the hands of a thirteen year old boy. Understood?" At this Zuko beamed and nodded eagerly, Kaida was still watching the other generals walking past in the meeting chamber. She sighed and jumped slightly as Uncle placed a hand on her shoulder, the other already on Zuko's, and led the two into the chamber, the guards nodding as they passed.

--

"Zuko! What the hell were you thinking? Hmm? How could you do that? You knew it wasn't your place! What is wrong with you?" The voice of the young Kaida sounded in his room, scolding at him for his stupid actions only twenty minutes before. Yes, those fifteen minutes that it took to get back to his chamber was spent in silence. The past five, however, were spent scolding him feverishly. He sat on his bed and hung his head.

"Do you even know who you're supposed to duel, Zuko? Do you know who challenged you for an Agni Kai?" Zuko looked up, and shook his head. Kaida sighed, she couldn't tell him that it was his own father. He would have to figure that on his own.

"Zuko. You were a complete and total idiot for doing that, do you understand?" She only got a nod from him. Yelling at him for five minutes wasn't going to teach him a lesson, she realized. This Agni Kai was going to have to do that for him…most unfortunately.

"Go. You must train and get ready for your Agni Kai. It is tomorrow morning, remember." Zuko looked up and nodded, standing and bowing at the taller girl. Kaida sighed and wrapped her arms around him.

"You should have listened to your Uncle, Prince Zuko." He didn't answer, only nodded and sighed. Kaida sighed as well…she wasn't looking forward for tomorrow in the least. Sighing, she departed her friend and turned on her heels, leaving his room and walking into the corridor. She would see him in the morning if all else. She was tired and began heading towards her room, arms shaking inside the kimono's sleeves from being nervous.

--

The following morning, Kaida woke up before the sun began peeking over the horizon. She sighed as she watched the sky slowly grow paler and paler over time. Her green eyes hiding beneath heavy lids. She was tired, yes…but she was not about to go back to sleep. Not when she was so nervous. She had barely slept as it was and she simply doubted that it was going to do her any good with only a few minutes of sleeping until the Agni Kai. She sighed once again, thoughts were flying past her head about what might happen during today's battle between Zuko and his father. After his mother had disappeared, he hadn't really been the same person he used to be. And after this, she had a feeling that Zuko wasn't going to be allowed to stay in the Fire Nation Palace any longer. His father was the Fire Lord now, after all.

Another sigh escaped her full lips as she weighed her options. The only current reason that Kaida was allowed to stay in the palace was because of the fact that she was Zuko's friend and Zuko bid that she stayed. It had been like that since Ursa left. And both Kaida and Uncle Iroh were sure that Fire Lord Ozai was going to banish Zuko for his 'treason.' Yet another sigh escaped her lips as she watched the sun creep above the crater's walls. Yes, living in the palace with no sign of the ocean around the island sometimes got to her. But she got through just fine…she supposed. She just missed the ocean. Odd for a fire bender, she assumed. Sighing, Kaida turned round. It was time to intercept Zuko before he went to his moment of truth.

She dressed herself in a kimono, this one was a thinner silk than the one she had worn yesterday and hugged to her form quietly. This one had no obi, either, nor sleeves. It made it lighter to wear…especially this early in the summer day. It would keep her cool all day, thank Agni. It was a crimson silk, with black embroidery reaching up the hem of the skirt and snaking up the dress in a vine pattern. Said vines ended just below the navel…as they slowly dispersed as they reached higher and higher. The dress itself had black trim along the hems and the cross section that she tightened across her supple chest. She combed her raven hair out, removing the tangles that had nested themselves there during her sleep. Her green eyes kept a soft stare at her as she arranged her hair to lay around her shoulders and down her back and her front at the same time. Smiling to her reflection, her eyes gazed out at the sun's steady rising. Her heart raced with a nervous sort of laughter as she realized she would have to practically run in order to walk with Zuko to the duel. Sighing, she quickly slid her feet into a pair of black slippers.

Zuko, on the other hand, was busy staring at himself in the mirror. His smooth porcelain flesh stared back at him and his golden eyes glared hard at the reflection. He, unlike Kaida and his uncle and nearly every other general and admiral at the meeting yesterday, was unaware he would be fighting his father. And not knowing that, Zuko had not followed Kaida's advice about training. He was good enough that he wouldn't need to worry. Or at least that was his thought process…not a very smart one mind you, but it was what he believed to be true. He was, once again, dressed in the traditional fire nation uniform, his hair pulled back into a high ponytail.

A knock at the door pulled him from his trance and he went to answer it. Silently, he hoped in the back of his mind that it was good news. Something like the man he was supposed to be fighting had dropped dead over night and Zuko would have to fight his three year old son instead. But when he opened the door to find Kaida looking lovely as usual, he composed himself and bowed to her. Kaida bowed back and beckoned him into the corridor with her.

"Good. I was afraid you had left already. Come on, let's walk together…" Zuko nodded and hugged her, smiling softly at the thought that she wanted to be with him right now. Though he was expecting to get scolded once again for the previous evening, that was not so. They walked along in brusque silence. He didn't mind too terribly, though…and Kaida was happy for the silence. They reached the room in which the duel was to take place not long before everyone else arrived. Kaida hugged him and he went to join Iroh in preparation for this Agni Kai.

--

"No! Please, father, I didn't know! I had no intention of dishonoring you! Please!" Zuko pleaded, kneeling before his father, the Fire Lord, and attempting to beg forgiveness.

"Rise, Prince Zuko. Defend your honor." The cold voice of Fire Lord Ozai sounded in front of his thirteen year old son.

"No! I won't fight you!" Kaida watched helplessly from the sidelines, shaking with both fear and anger. She sat still at her place beside Uncle, however. She swallowed as the Fire Lord laughed at his son's protests.

"Then I will teach you about respect myself!" He roared, and as Zuko looked up, a flame flew at his head. Kaida and Uncle looked away just in time to hear Zuko's screams and cries, but not to see what had happened to the Prince.


	4. The Avatar Returns

_**Author's Note : **I finally got off my lazy bum to get the fourth chapter of Fire in the Skies up here. Squee. Again, it's a Zuko x OC fanfiction, so yeah. I'll probably throw in some Zutara somewhere along the line...maybe. I haven't decided yet. The liklihood of Zutara showing up in here is pretty small at this point... Anyway, I ask you to please read and review so that I can get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thank you guys very much, I hope you enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike and Bryan. The only things that Mike and Bryan don't own are my stories and the characters I create. Though I'm going to absolutely laugh my ass off if they bring someone like Kaida into the show...though I do doubt that._

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Fire in the Skies

_-- The Avatar Returns --_

_Three years have passed since Prince Zuko's banishment. Still no sign of the Avatar, though he feels we are growing nearer. I'm not quite sure if I can believe that… Iroh and I both agree that he has become…obsessed with restoring his honor. But what good is honor if his father still doesn't give a damn? All Ozai wants is the Avatar dead. And he's been gone for one hundred years. There is no way that the Avatar is still alive. Not after this long. And after three years of searching the globe, I doubt we have much luck anymore. But here we are, on this wild goose-rabbit chase…all for Zuko's sanity and his "honor and place in the throne of his nation." I have told him that his attempts are useless, but he refuses to listen. He's getting slowly better at fire bending, Iroh's lessons are helping. But how does he expect to defeat the Avatar after the hundred years he's had to master all the elements. I don't know what think anymore. It's Zuko's sixteenth birthday today. Iroh is making the crew help celebrate with us. I wrote him a poem that I will share tonight at the celebrations. I hope he enjoys it. Oh, bother…what is that boy up to now?_

The sounds of the brush strokes that Kaida made on her private scroll as she wrote all that down diminished as she finished. Zuko was babbling on about something on deck and he was calling her name. Sighing, Kaida wiped clean her calligraphy brush and left her scroll open to dry. Sighing, she stood, causing her black cotton kimono to rustle as she did so. Kaida wrapped her arms around themselves, making sure that the sleeves of the kimono covered her arms. Yes, in the south pole it was really quite cold. The seventeen year old girl hadn't changed much since she was fourteen. She had grown another three inches, so she now stood at a height of five feet and ten inches. Zuko had, in turn, grown since he was thirteen. Though he wasn't nearly as tall as Kaida. He stood at a height of five feet and seven inches, only three inches shorter…but he did still have growing to do.

She surfaced and bowed to the Prince, receiving a bow back in greeting before getting dragged off towards the front of the metal ship. He was pointing towards a clump of icebergs.

"See? Kaida, don't you see?" Kaida raised her brow and looked hard at the iceberg. It looked just like every other iceberg in the damn sea. She turned to Zuko and shook her head.

"What are you pointing at? Another iceberg? It's not like we haven't seen every other damned iceberg in this whole damned ocean, is it?" Zuko looked flustered and quickly looked over to where he was pointing, his other arm still holding tightly on Kaida's thin arm.

"There…there was a light there earlier. Wasn't there, Uncle? I saw it, you saw it. The men saw it." Kaida blinked and rolled her eyes, trying to pull away from Zuko but failed. Even if she was taller, she was still thin and he was stronger than her. She sighed and raised her brow.

"I know it's your birthday, Zuko…but that doesn't mean you can claim glowing lights shining all over. Have you suspected that it was the Southern Lights?" At this, Uncle nodded and she smirked softly. So he had, but Zuko still didn't believe it.

"I'm not kidding. There was. Wasn't there Uncle? And besides, it was too powerful to be the Southern Lights. It had to have come from an extremely powerful source. And who else is that powerful but the Avatar himself!?" Zuko was becoming annoyed now…his temper had been short ever since his accident at the Agni Kai. Kaida watched his eyes quietly, shifting between his scarred and smooth flesh. He could tell she was watching him and he averted his eyes, not looking forward to hearing how it was all his fault that this had happened and they were all on that boat together because of him. Even though it was true, he didn't like admitting it. He had forced himself to forget that fact. It was not one of his favorite things that he had done in his life. Definitely not.

"Whatever you say, Zuko. Anyway, Happy Birthday." She said, turning with a swirl of fabric and hair upon her heels as she went back to her warm room beneath the ship. There she could at least continue her day of solitude in silence. And in solitude. Before she closed the steel door that separated the deck from the rest of the ship, she heard Zuko barking orders to begin heading towards the light. She sighed, shaking her head as she disappeared.

--

Within a few minutes of Kaida finding her solitude yet again, she was interrupted by the sounds of the ship scraping against something that didn't sound like it was supposed to be scraping up against. She sighed as she set down her calligraphy brush once again and let the parchment dry up silently. She grumbled to herself as she made her way to the deck of the ship. Before she could ask someone what the bloody hell was going on, Zuko ran past her, smiling like a damned maniac.

"Zuko! What the hell are you up to?" She shouted after him, slowly becoming a little more infuriated with him at his actions.

"We're at the water tribe where the Avatar is hiding!" Kaida sighed and shook her head. She would watch from the deck, like always whenever they invaded towns to look for the Avatar.

--

Kaida sighed, she was sitting on the edge of the ship with her legs hanging over the edge beneath her. Her hair sat still as she watched Zuko go about his business looking through the small water tribe village for the Avatar. She thought his efforts were useless as she watched him handle an elderly woman roughly. She would have called down to the banished prince against his actions had she not been watching a girl with a braid and looks in her hair trying to hold a boy back. The only boy around Zuko's age at that village was painted as a warrior. This village had a past. And it didn't seem like a good past.

"Where is the Avatar?" Zuko shouted yet again, pushing the old woman away from him and back towards the girl and her brother.

"We don't have him! We don't know who you're talking about! The Avatar hasn't been seen for hundreds of years!" There went the old woman again, turning around in the girl's arms.

"Lies! Men! Search the village!" With Zuko's order, the Fire Nation soldiers assembled around Zuko scattered to look for the Avatar. But before the first soldier arrived at the one of the ice huts, a young boy dressed in yellow and orange clothing floated down from above, landing in front of Zuko.

"Stop!" The boy cried. Both Kaida and Zuko knew from his clothing that he was an Air Nomad. They also knew that this had to be the last air bender. And therefore, the last Avatar.

"The Avatar." Both he and Kaida whispered. Kaida was much more interested now. The boy sent a jet of air at Zuko, causing him to stumble back. Within a few seconds, however, the prince was back on his feet and soon sending a blast of flame towards the boy.

"You're the Avatar! But you're just a boy!" Zuko called, as the boy dodged yet another blast of his fire.

"Well, you're just a teenager!" He retorted. Kaida couldn't help but to giggle at that. She received a glare from Zuko, causing other water tribe natives to look up at her. With a swift movement, however, Kaida hopped back over the side of the ship and landed on the deck with a soft thud. She smiled as she poked her head back over the side. In their distraction, Zuko had managed to get guards surrounding the Avatar. Kaida smirked, her boy was learning.

"Surrender now, Avatar. If you don't want us to hurt your water tribe." Zuko stated, bringing the attention of everyone back to him and the Avatar rather than Kaida and the ship. She watched as the young boy gave up, hanging his head and allowing the soldiers to lead him to the ship.

"Aang! No!" Kaida's attention once again got torn back to the girl, who was leaving her family to protest the boy getting carried away.

"It's okay, Katara. I'll be alright." He stated, sparing a final glance back as the door that had so previously allowed Zuko and the soldiers to invade was closed. Kaida left her perch with a twirl of hair and silk.

Below the deck, Zuko was barking orders to the soldiers, telling them to put the Avatar in his room.

"But, Prince Zuko, what if he tries to escape?" The head of the crew came up to him, bowing before him quietly.

"Then watch him and make sure he doesn't escape!" He shouted, his temper rising slowly. The soldier sensed this and he quickly bowed and began ordering those lesser than him around. Within a few seconds, Zuko was standing alone in the steel corridor. He quickly made his way up to the deck, but Kaida beat him into meeting her.

"Kaida, I finally have him! I have our ticket back home!" The eager voice of his brought a smile to her face. She smiled at him once again, and he actually had the small hints of a smile back at her. They hugged, and before Kaida new it, their lips met.


	5. Nothing Happened

_**Author's Note :** I finally got off my lazy bum to get the fourth chapter of Fire in the Skies up here. Squee. Again, it's a Zuko x OC fanfiction, so yeah. I'll probably throw in some Zutara somewhere along the line...maybe. I haven't decided yet. The liklihood of Zutara showing up in here is pretty small at this point... Anyway, I ask you to please read and review so that I can get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thank you guys very much, I hope you enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike and Bryan. The only things that Mike and Bryan don't own are my stories and the characters I create. Though I'm going to absolutely laugh my ass off if they bring someone like Kaida into the show...though I do doubt that._

* * *

**Fire in the Skies**

_-- Nothing Happened --_

It was a few sweet seconds before either of them realized what had happened and they parted. Kaida's eyes were wide and a blush slowly crept over her skin in a deep shade of crimson. Zuko quickly turned away, hiding a blush from her. Kaida blinked in the silence that came from that kiss. She was stunned, unable to move, and strangely wanting another kiss. She turned on her heels, trying to make sure that it looked like nothing had happened. Other than another bickering battle between the two. She sighed, looking back to him as she thought of what she could say. She opened her mouth to say something - what, she didn't know - but Zuko beat her to it.

"Sorry, Kaida…I…I…"

"It's fine, Zuko."

"As far as anyone else is concerned…"

"Nothing happened. I know." She stated, a tint of sadness in her voice. She took a breath, her heart was racing terribly as she was wondering what he would do if she went in for another kiss. She bit her lip as she nodded in his direction, deciding not to do anything for the moment, no matter how loud her feelings were screaming at her. She would go back to her room and act as though nothing happened. Because no one else was there, so it had to be true…

She sighed. No matter how much she tried to deny it, Kaida really wanted it to happen. Known to other people, not just her and the prince. He had been so…happy before that. And then he had went back to his gloomy self. She sat down on her bed, leaning back against the steel walls and staring at the ceiling, her eyes slowly beginning to glimmer with the hints of tears. She blinked them away…why would she cry over something so stupid as wanting another kiss? Shouldn't she be happy. She figured that her current emotional status was because of the way the whole thing was handled. Lovely…just lovely…

Noise could be heard coming from the corridor outside her room, making her fall from her state of mind back onto the earth. She blinked, standing and going to her door. She opened the door but was quickly shoved back inside by one of the guards. "Stay inside, Miss. The Avatar has escaped." Was all he said before he jerked the door closed and left with the group of people chasing after the seemingly twelve year old boy. She blinked, staring at the steel in front of her for a few moments before she pulled it open and slipped outside her room, walking up to the deck quietly, dodging as a blast of fire came her way. There was that boy behind and above her, calling the attention of everyone on deck. She looked back to the men fighting the boy, they weren't paying attention to her, least of all to anyone in the air. There was a flying bison coming their way, that same water tribe girl and her brother sitting on top, looking a little worse for wear. Kaida smirked quietly before Zuko caught sight of her and tackled her, causing the both of them to fall to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kaida!" He scolded, gold eyes looking at her with something that she couldn't quite name. It was a mix of emotions really, and for one reason or another, that look caused her heart to flutter.

"I…" She was at a loss for words right now…not that she meant to be that way, but she was.

"Didn't they tell you to stay in your cabin?" He meant the guards. Kaida's eyes glanced upwards, the boy was jumping off the tower, gliding towards his friends and his bison. She then looked at the guards, they were tossing flames at him. "Well?" She was pulled back to Zuko.

"Y…yeah, they did."

"So what the hell are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to help, Zuko."

"Help? How were you going to help, Kaida? You can't even bend!" The words slipped away from him before he could think and the look on the face of the girl that lay beneath him made him immediately regret his decision to speak. Those eyes turned cold and she struggled beneath him.

"Get. Off." She stated, her voice cold. Everyone had given up chasing after the Avatar, he was out of their reach for now. They turned, instead, to the two teenagers on board. The old general Iroh stepped forward to console the two. Everyone had heard Zuko's stinging words. He didn't move from his place, however. "Kaida….I'm…"

"Get off me, Zuko! Just get off and leave me alone!" She struggled but he gave way, she pushed him away from her, glaring and heart pounding in her chest and mind telling her to just show this boy how wrong he was. But she couldn't. Not with everyone watching…

Kaida swallowed and got up, fighting back the urge to just pummel him with everything she had. The seventeen year old turned and stormed off deck, back into her room. She locked the door behind her before she collapsed on the floor, tears falling and lithe body shaking quietly.

* * *

_**Author's Note : **Well, there you are. Hope you guys like this chapter. Ooo! Drama! evil laugh Well, I'm not telling you what Zuko was wrong about, because I finally figured out what I'm going to do with Kaida and I'm going to keep that secret of hers a secret until she reveals it._


	6. Happy Birthday

_**Author's Note :** Yay. Chapter six is finished! Squee. Again, it's a Zuko x OC fanfiction, so yeah. I'll probably throw in some Zutara somewhere along the line...maybe. I haven't decided yet. The liklihood of Zutara showing up in here is pretty small at this point... Anyway, I ask you to please read and review so that I can get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thank you guys so very much, I hope you enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike and Bryan. The only things that Mike and Bryan don't own are my stories and the characters I create. Though I'm going to absolutely laugh my ass off if they bring someone like Kaida into the show...though I do doubt that._

**Fire in the Skies**

_-- Happy Birthday --_

Zuko didn't move. He couldn't believe what he had just said. He knew that Kaida was more than a bit touchy on the subject of her not being able to bend. He knew that and yet he had still said it. He could tell that she was hurt terribly by his comment. He cursed himself over and over and then over again as he got up, his Uncle Iroh behind him and thinking of what to say to comfort his nephew.

The Prince really did not know what to do. He wanted to go apologize and comfort Kaida. But he knew that she was only going to push him away again…and he didn't feel like trying to explain to a girl who was older than him and who he respected why had been such an ass and why he had said those things. He sighed and moved to a small chair, sitting down as he was followed by his uncle. "Uncle, what do I do?" He asked, his face in his hands as his black ponytail fell forward. The old man shrugged and attempted to give his nephew a cup of tea. The teenager merely shook his head and Iroh shrugged, taking the tea for himself.

"I could talk to her if you like, Prince Zuko." The man stated in his gruff voice, one of his bushy brows raised quietly. The prince merely shrugged, then nodded. "Sure, if you can get her to talk…" He said, but his uncle didn't hear him. Iroh had turned on his heels before the prince could get an answer out.

--

Kaida had forced herself to stop crying when the knock came to her door. She wiped her eyes and glared at the metal. "Go away!" She yelled, her voice shaky with unresolved anger. She took a breath and stepped forward, nearly jumping when she heard Iroh's calm voice calling to her.

"I brought you tea, Miss Kaida. I thought that maybe we could talk about my nephew's -"

"I don't want to talk. And sorry, Iroh, but I don't want any tea." She stated, still shaky with her voice and body as she stared at the metal, eyes puffy and swollen. She waited for a response, but one didn't come for a few seconds. She figured the old man had left, so when she went to sit down on her bed and he spoke again, she almost jumped.

"Fine. We don't have to talk. But I would like to come in and give you tea. It will help calm you." Okay, that got her. Kaida did want some company, anyway. She sighed and shuffled to her door, unlocking it and opening it a crack. "Zuko isn't with you…is he?" She asked, when she received a shake of the head in response, she opened it wider and allowed the old man entrance. She respected him…that was one of the reasons she couldn't turn him away. Plus, he did make a mean cup of soothing tea. And that was probably what she needed most at this moment.

--

Despite how much Kaida tried to refuse speech with Iroh, he eventually coaxed it out of her. And she told him everything…her entire life story took up most of their time. And when their tea was finished, he would refill and wait for Kaida to continue. Nothing else had happened that day to cause them to pull out of their conversation. They were chasing after the Avatar and his friends, and Kaida wasn't too keen on seeing Zuko again for the moment. Iroh was a good listener…he always had been. Maybe that was why he was so easy to talk to. Kaida couldn't talk to Zuko…he interrupted her too much and made her nervous. Something about him always had.

"So why haven't you told Prince Zuko this?" Iroh asked after she had finished with the story of her life.

"Because. I can't. I've never felt like I could tell him. I've always figured he would…do something that would screw me over for the rest of my life."

"Why would he do that?"

"…Because, no offense or anything, he was born and raised a Fire Nation Prince in war. What are they supposed to do to invaders and whoever threatens their throne? Eradicate them…"

"But you don't threaten his throne, and you aren't an invader. And I was born a Prince in the time of war. Do you see me sauntering down to my brother with you in tow?"

"…No, I'm not. And no, you're not doing that. But still. You and Fire Lord Ozai are completely different. He screwed you over and brought his family into it. He raised a crazy, psycho little -"

"Alright, I get it. I understand. Have you ever told him why you can't bend?"

"I told you that I can't…it would -"

"Yes, I know. Ruin your life. So you said. I didn't mean directly…what does he think the reason is?"

"He thinks that I can bend, but I don't because it could kill me…" There was silence as Kaida finished her reply. Iroh blinked and raised a confused, bushy brow at her.

"…What? You told him that?" It was then that she realized how stupid it had been of her to say that. Only once in the recorded history had a bender been killed by his own bending. And that was an accident. "What does he think it is because of?"

"Yeah…haven't told him that. After I told him that it would kill me, he pretty much backed off…" The candle on her table spluttered, there was wax spreading slowly all over the surface. It had burnt out in the time the two spoke. Kaida sighed and blew out the dying wick, a fresh aroma of cherries and their blossoms spread. Yes, the candle wasn't necessarily there for light, but for smell. She smiled softly as she removed a knife from underneath the forearm of her kimono. She began scraping up the quickly drying wax with the dull edge of the blade, focusing on that rather than explaining her reasoning more to Iroh.

"Well, I think we have spoken for long enough, Kaida. And would you please join us for Prince Zuko's birthday celebration? I know he would enjoy it if you showed…" That made her pause in her work, looking up as the old man stood and made his way to her door.

"I'll think about it, Iroh…I don't know yet." With that, Kaida was left alone. What was she going to do? She did want to go to his little party…but she didn't know if that would make it seem like she had forgiven him. And she most definitely had not.

--

Zuko had been holed up in his room for the rest of the day. He simply lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what Kaida was saying to his Uncle right about now. He had stopped by her door before continuing to his room. She was talking about something with her family. He had decided not to disturb them. Of course, that was best considering the look he had received from the older girl earlier that afternoon…

A knock came to his door and he sat up, looking at it and silently hoping it was Kaida. "Come in." He called, sitting up straighter and moving so that his legs hung over the side of the mattress, gold eyes watching as the door opened. His heart sunk as he saw it was his uncle. He sighed and lay back down. "What do you want?" He stated, cold in his tone.

"I just finished talking to Kaida, she's really quite upset, Prince Zuko." Iroh said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed at his nephew's feet. Zuko raised his brow and lifted his head, glaring at his uncle with his good eye.

"Really? Because you know, I really couldn't tell with that look she gave me earlier." He said sarcastically as he brought his head back down. "I take it she wants to get off at the next stop, and never speak to me again." Iroh smirked and chuckled at his nephew's reaction.

"No. Actually, she said she would think about coming to your dinner tonight." Zuko looked up at his uncle, hope hiding somewhere in those distorted features of his. Iroh merely nodded before standing up.

"Come on, dinner will be ready soon, Prince Zuko. It's your birthday, come celebrate."


	7. Competition

-1**Fire in the Skies**

_-- Your New Friend --_

"Prince Zuko, Princess Ursa has requested you join her at the turtle-duck pond."

"When?"

"Lady Ursa said it was preferred now, Prince Zuko."

"Alright, alright…I'm coming." The seven year old prince stated, his golden eyes tearing away from the scroll he had been reading. He quickly turned away from the direction in which the messenger had set out in. He made his way towards the turtle-duck pond from there, taking various turns to find the courtyard. He could see the back of his mother's head, her long black hair flowing in the slight breeze that came from the middle of this day.

He grinned softly as he approached her, the black hair that emanated from his pony tail floating behind him. The prince was dressed in classic fire nation wear, with red slacks trimmed with gold, black boots, and the classic red tunic trimmed in gold. His golden eyes caught sight of another figure sitting with his mother, a young girl around the age of Zuko, however, she looked to be maybe a year or two older than him. He entered his mother's and the girl's field of vision and he bowed to them both, a small smile upon his face as he surfaced from said bow. His mother smiled in return and the girl bowed her head. The older woman's pale hand patted a patch of grass beside her, her golden eyes gazing up at her son with love and affection. Truly Zuko's mother favored him over his little sister, Azula. Their father, Fire Prince Ozai, favored the princess more for her skilled abilities in fire-bending. But Zuko had their mother and that was really who mattered to him the most.

Zuko followed suit and sat down at a forty-five degree angle in front of his mother, smiling up at her. He could feel the girl's eyes upon him as his mother's mouth opened to introduce the pair.

"Zuko, this is Kaida. Kaida, this is my son, Zuko."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Zuko." Her voice was soft, like that of a loose petal or feather floating down upon the breeze. However, it still held confidence in it that was hidden somewhere within that soft drone. It was enchanting, really.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, as well, Kaida" Zuko responded, getting a smile from the girl in front of him. His eyes darted towards his mother, wondering who exactly this girl was, though he was all manners in front of her.

"Kaida has come to live with us. Her mother was a good friend of mine and has recently passed. Her father passed a few years back…"

"I have no where else to go. And Ursa has always shown the utmost kindness to me and my family."

"Of course, you have always been welcome into my life, dearest " Ursa smiled down at the girl, this…Kaida, who was smiling softly as she watched the turtle-ducks in the pond before her.

"So…does that mean she's my new sister…?" Zuko asked, a tad confused.

"Oh no. Not at all. She'll simply be living with us. Her parents were members of the Fire Nation Court, after all…"

"I don't want a new family…just a place to stay." She stated, nodding quietly.

"Oh. Right." He stated as he watched her, wondering where she hailed from. He had never heard of her nor any of her parents in the court. Then again, he wasn't allowed into the court meetings. Especially since he was only seven years old. A messenger came up to the group of three once again, the same one who had summoned Zuko a bit ago. He had a note for his mother from his father. She took it and read over it, something about being requested in the court again with Zuko's grandfather. She nodded and handed the parchment back to the man before she stood, her Fire Nation robes falling down to the grass with a soft rustle.

"Fire Lord Azulon requests my presence. I will get back to you two later." She stated, spinning on her heels with a flare of robes and hair. Zuko's golden eyes watched her go while Kaida simply continued to watch the little flock of turtle-ducks swimming in the pond.

When he could no longer see his mother, he turned back to the girl. Kaida had pulled out a roll from a pocket in her robes and was tearing it apart for the animals in front of her.

"So, how old are you, Prince Zuko?" She asked, holding out a torn piece for the mother of the little family of them.

"Just call me Zuko, please. And I'm seven." He stated, smiling proudly.

"Fun. I remember being seven…" She stated, her voice trailing off into the distance as she continued to feed the animals that were currently clambering over her legs.

"How old are you, Kaida?" He asked, tilting his head slightly in question.

"Nine. I'll be turning Ten in just a few months, though."

"Really? I'm turning eight next month."

"Wonderful." She stated, smiling at him even though her attention was spent on the turtle-ducks.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Little ZuZu got himself a girlfriend? I thought you were saving yourself for Mai." Another female voice could be heard. T'was the voice of little six year old Azula. Both Kaida and Zuko looked up at the mocking girl.

"She's not my girlfriend, Azula!" He stated, blushing fiercely.

"Oh? Then what is she? A slave? You know how father doesn't like it when you mingle with the slaves, ZuZu." She stated, still mocking the pair as Kaida finished feeding the bread to the ducklings. She smiled and leaned back, listening to their conversation and yet still managing to ignore every word the princess was saying.

"No. She's not. Her mom was a friend of -"

"Right, I don't care. Anyway, Dad is holding a council with Grandfather, today. It's about becoming Fire Lord. Interested?"

"No, Azula. You know Uncle Iroh is supposed to be Fire Lord next."

"Yes, well. Since his son Lu Ten died so tragically in the war, the old bat is coming home. And Dad doesn't think it should be that way with no heirs." Her voice was filled with a mock sarcastic poison as she spoke of their father's elder brother.

"Princess Azula, why are you concerning yourself with such matters when you are not the one who will get to rule the throne. You will never be able to do so, will you? So why speak of such treason?" Kaida spoke up, looking up at the three year younger princess with sterling green eyes. Azula stepped back when the calm voice of the older girl began to sound, furrowing her brows with defeat. The princess flipped her bangs away from her face with a pale hand before huffing and turning on her heels to storm off. Zuko turned to Kaida, a look of awe upon his face.

"How…how did you do that?"

"She's your _younger_ sister, right?"

"Um…yeah…?"

"Shouldn't you be standing up for yourself, then?"

"Oh…um…I guess…" Zuko stated, blushing slightly as Kaida made movements to get up.

"And besides, I did it by not letting her get to me. That's something you do way to easily…"

"Oh…um…right."

"Well, I'm off. Have fun avoiding your sister." She stated, and with one swift movement, she did a quick spin to get into a standing position. From there, she turned on her heel and headed back towards the palace, a small smile upon her quiet features.

_-- Disappear --_

"Dad's going to kill you." The younger girl's voice mocked the prince as he and Kaida walked along the corridors from the kitchen. They had just finished begging rolls off of the cooks and were headed off towards the turtle-duck pond.

"What are you talking about, Azula?"

"Oh nothing. Just Dad's going to kill you. Literally."

"Zuko, ignore her. Keep walking." With Kaida's voice, Azula glared at the older girl as she followed them. That nine year old know it all was becoming too much of a hassle right now. She was teaching Zuko to ignore his sister, which meant that she had to dig deeper to hit his nerves. He head turned eight last week, and now the pair were only a year off in an age difference. Yes, it had already been a little over a month since the girl came to live in the palace, and he and Kaida had grown to be fast friends.

"Right."

"Zuko, I'm not kidding. Dad is really, really going to kill you." With that statement, all seriousness in her voice, it made Zuko stop dead and spin 'round on his heels. There was an expression of wonderment and fear upon his pale face. With the boy's sudden stop, Kaida stopped and turned on her heels as well, her silver-green eyes concerned as she looked from the boy to the girl. Azula had a smug smirk up on her face as she looked at her nails, not really caring that her father had threatened her brother's life.

"What are you talking about, Azula?"

"Just the fact that Dad disrespected Grandpa. And now, Grandpa is going to make Dad kill you, his only son and heir."

"…What do you mean?"

"You remember Dad's meeting with Grandpa last month, don't you?"

"…Yes…?"

"I told you Dad wanted the throne, and now Dad is going to kill you to know what it feels like to lose a son."

"No…he…he wouldn't!"

"Oh, but he would, ZuZu!" With that, the twisted little girl grinned at her older brother and spun on her heels, sauntering off towards the end of the hall opposite both Kaida and Zuko. Kaida hung her head and Zuko looked absolutely mortified.

"I told you to ignore her, Zuko…"

"But…she was…she was serious, wasn't she?"

"Ignore her. Do not worry of the future when it still has yet to be decided."

"…Right…" But he didn't want to believe her, he wanted to believe his sister. No matter how terrible that truth may have been, it was exactly that - the truth. The seriousness in her voice could not be mistaken. There was no hint of sarcasm in that twisted girl's voice. Not like normal.

--

Kaida sat beside the turtle-duck pond, her long raven hair flowing behind her in a soft breeze. The moon had risen high in the sky, and the nine year old could not sleep. She leaned back onto the palm of her hands, though she still held onto a posture that made her back arch forward slightly. Her pale skin glinted in the moonlight above as she closed her eyes, in a sort of meditative sleep. Her eyes were something of a mystical, odd color for a Fire Nation citizen. They were a mix somewhere between being silver and an emerald green. Her hair was something of interest as well. It was definitely a cut that was not seen normally in the fire nation - especially for a girl of only nine. Her straight hair fell down in a waterfall of raven black where it ended in a straight line along the top of her rump. Her bangs fell down to just past her brows, framing her face as they curved around her jaw. She wore a loose silk crimson tunic and a pair of silk black

A sigh escaped her lips as she could hear someone else creeping up on her from behind. Kaida immediately spun round, rising out of her sitting position as she did so. She faced the person before her in a fighting stance, as she had been trained to do by her mother. The moonlight glinted off the face before her and she immediately relaxed.

"Ursa? What are you doing out here this late at night?" The nine year old asked, approaching the cloaked woman with a few steps.

"I could ask you the same thing, Kaida. But I must leave. I have already said my goodbyes to Zuko and I need you to promise me something."

"…Where are you going?"

"You cannot know. I'm sorry. But I need to hurry. Again, can you promise me something?" The girl slowly nodded, eyes holding confusion, question, and the beginnings of tears. Ursa knelt and took Kaida by the shoulders, looking into the young girl's eyes with compassion.

"Take care of Zuko. Do not leave him or betray him. Understand?" Kaida nodded slowly, blinking away tears as she was wrapped up in the fire princess' arms in a silent hug.

"Thank you, Kaida. Now, I have to go. I'm sorry for what I have done, but it was terribly necessary." With that, the woman stood once more, folded the hood over her head and walked away from the garden quietly, to whatever her fate may have been at that point.

Kaida's eyes still held tears in them as she made her way to Zuko's room. Surely he was awake and worried and scared and crying…just as she was. She arrived at the prince's quarters in a matter of minutes, but when she slipped past the large doors to where he lay in his massive bed. However, there were no lights flickering, nor a silhouette of the prince sitting up in his bed. There were no sounds of sobbing or heavy breathing…only the sounds of his deep breathing. What was he doing? His mother had just left them all and he was sleeping. Maybe Ursa never woke him. But no, she said…oh, whatever. Kaida was too upset to deal with it at that moment.

So, the nine year old merely made her way over to the edge of the bed. Her rump sat down on the satin covers as she hung her head, hair obscuring her face. She silently let the tears flow down her cheeks as she awaited the sleeping prince's awakening.

--

Zuko dreamt that his mother had come in late at night, dressed in the crimson robes of the fire nation. She apologized to him for all that she had done and told him that Kaida would be there for him no matter what. Then a kiss came from her lips onto his forehead and she said good bye. Ursa then left her son's room, with a flip of her hood and only one last look back. Then the dream ended and Zuko went back into a dreamless sleep.

Then he awoke and saw Kaida sitting on the edge of his bed. Bags were under her beautiful eyes and she had tear stains down her cheeks. He sat up, concern in his eyes. He crawled over to her, his chest bare and his lower half covered by a pair of red silk pajamas. A pale hand reached over to touch her shoulder, but she turned away.

"Kaida? What's wrong?" The only response was her shaking her head.

"Why don't you go get Mom? I'm -" He blinked slowly as he watched Kaida crumple, falling onto the floor in a heap of crying mess…

"…Kaida…? Where's Mom?"

_-- The Meeting --_

Kaida and Zuko walked down the halls of the Fire Nation palace. Just like they had done for the past five years. Kaida was now fourteen years old, a tall and gangly thing, having reached her growth spurt the year before. Standing at five feet and seven inches, the girl was still growing and developing. Zuko, on the other hand, was thirteen years old. He had not yet hit his growth spurt and was still stuck at the short height of five feet and two inches.

Zuko kept his shoulder-length hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Where as Kaida was proud of her long hair and let it flow free. They both wore the traditional clothing for the fire nation - Kaida in a crimson and gold kimono and Zuko in the traditional crimson and black uniform of the fire nation nobles. They were on their way to the war meeting…where Kaida had been invited to join Zuko's Uncle Iroh in the matters of war. Kaida was a peaceful person, so Zuko didn't see why Uncle had invited her instead of him…but he would ask his Uncle that he could join as well. They reached the meeting chamber in a few minutes and Kaida watched timidly as the generals and admirals entered. Zuko caught sight of his uncle and began dragging Kaida off towards him and out of her daze.

"Uncle! Please, can I join? I'm thirteen. Kaida's only fourteen and she's a woman. She hates war. Why can she go and I not?" Zuko asked, causing his uncle to look at him and raise his brow.

"You are too young, Prince Zuko. Lady Kaida, on the other hand, has matured far beyond her years and deserves to know what matters of war are going on. She will understand them far better than you would."

"But Uncle, please, I -"

"Hush. If I allow you to come to this meeting, you must promise not to say a word, Prince Zuko. The matters of war should not be in the hands of a thirteen year old boy. Understood?" At this Zuko beamed and nodded eagerly, Kaida was still watching the other generals walking past in the meeting chamber. She sighed and jumped slightly as Uncle placed a hand on her shoulder, the other already on Zuko's, and led the two into the chamber, the guards nodding as they passed.

--

"Zuko! What the hell were you thinking? Hmm? How could you do that? You knew it wasn't your place! What is wrong with you?" The voice of the young Kaida sounded in his room, scolding at him for his stupid actions only twenty minutes before. Yes, those fifteen minutes that it took to get back to his chamber was spent in silence. The past five, however, were spent scolding him feverishly. He sat on his bed and hung his head.

"Do you even know who you're supposed to duel, Zuko? Do you know who challenged you for an Agni Kai?" Zuko looked up, and shook his head. Kaida sighed, she couldn't tell him that it was his own father. He would have to figure that on his own.

"Zuko. You were a complete and total idiot for doing that, do you understand?" She only got a nod from him. Yelling at him for five minutes wasn't going to teach him a lesson, she realized. This Agni Kai was going to have to do that for him…most unfortunately.

"Go. You must train and get ready for your Agni Kai. It is tomorrow morning, remember." Zuko looked up and nodded, standing and bowing at the taller girl. Kaida sighed and wrapped her arms around him.

"You should have listened to your Uncle, Prince Zuko." He didn't answer, only nodded and sighed. Kaida sighed as well…she wasn't looking forward for tomorrow in the least. Sighing, she departed her friend and turned on her heels, leaving his room and walking into the corridor. She would see him in the morning if all else. She was tired and began heading towards her room, arms shaking inside the kimono's sleeves from being nervous.

--

The following morning, Kaida woke up before the sun began peeking over the horizon. She sighed as she watched the sky slowly grow paler and paler over time. Her green eyes hiding beneath heavy lids. She was tired, yes…but she was not about to go back to sleep. Not when she was so nervous. She had barely slept as it was and she simply doubted that it was going to do her any good with only a few minutes of sleeping until the Agni Kai. She sighed once again, thoughts were flying past her head about what might happen during today's battle between Zuko and his father. After his mother had disappeared, he hadn't really been the same person he used to be. And after this, she had a feeling that Zuko wasn't going to be allowed to stay in the Fire Nation Palace any longer. His father was the Fire Lord now, after all.

Another sigh escaped her full lips as she weighed her options. The only current reason that Kaida was allowed to stay in the palace was because of the fact that she was Zuko's friend and Zuko bid that she stayed. It had been like that since Ursa left. And both Kaida and Uncle Iroh were sure that Fire Lord Ozai was going to banish Zuko for his 'treason.' Yet another sigh escaped her lips as she watched the sun creep above the crater's walls. Yes, living in the palace with no sign of the ocean around the island sometimes got to her. But she got through just fine…she supposed. She just missed the ocean. Odd for a fire bender, she assumed. Sighing, Kaida turned round. It was time to intercept Zuko before he went to his moment of truth.

She dressed herself in a kimono, this one was a thinner silk than the one she had worn yesterday and hugged to her form quietly. This one had no obi, either, nor sleeves. It made it lighter to wear…especially this early in the summer day. It would keep her cool all day, thank Agni. It was a crimson silk, with black embroidery reaching up the hem of the skirt and snaking up the dress in a vine pattern. Said vines ended just below the navel…as they slowly dispersed as they reached higher and higher. The dress itself had black trim along the hems and the cross section that she tightened across her supple chest. She combed her raven hair out, removing the tangles that had nested themselves there during her sleep. Her green eyes kept a soft stare at her as she arranged her hair to lay around her shoulders and down her back and her front at the same time. Smiling to her reflection, her eyes gazed out at the sun's steady rising. Her heart raced with a nervous sort of laughter as she realized she would have to practically run in order to walk with Zuko to the duel. Sighing, she quickly slid her feet into a pair of black slippers.

Zuko, on the other hand, was busy staring at himself in the mirror. His smooth porcelain flesh stared back at him and his golden eyes glared hard at the reflection. He, unlike Kaida and his uncle and nearly every other general and admiral at the meeting yesterday, was unaware he would be fighting his father. And not knowing that, Zuko had not followed Kaida's advice about training. He was good enough that he wouldn't need to worry. Or at least that was his thought process…not a very smart one mind you, but it was what he believed to be true. He was, once again, dressed in the traditional fire nation uniform, his hair pulled back into a high ponytail.

A knock at the door pulled him from his trance and he went to answer it. Silently, he hoped in the back of his mind that it was good news. Something like the man he was supposed to be fighting had dropped dead over night and Zuko would have to fight his three year old son instead. But when he opened the door to find Kaida looking lovely as usual, he composed himself and bowed to her. Kaida bowed back and beckoned him into the corridor with her.

"Good. I was afraid you had left already. Come on, let's walk together…" Zuko nodded and hugged her, smiling softly at the thought that she wanted to be with him right now. Though he was expecting to get scolded once again for the previous evening, that was not so. They walked along in brusque silence. He didn't mind too terribly, though…and Kaida was happy for the silence. They reached the room in which the duel was to take place not long before everyone else arrived. Kaida hugged him and he went to join Iroh in preparation for this Agni Kai.

--

"No! Please, father, I didn't know! I had no intention of dishonoring you! Please!" Zuko pleaded, kneeling before his father, the Fire Lord, and attempting to beg forgiveness.

"Rise, Prince Zuko. Defend your honor." The cold voice of Fire Lord Ozai sounded in front of his thirteen year old son.

"No! I won't fight you!" Kaida watched helplessly from the sidelines, shaking with both fear and anger. She sat still at her place beside Uncle, however. She swallowed as the Fire Lord laughed at his son's protests.

"Then I will teach you about respect myself!" He roared, and as Zuko looked up, a flame flew at his head. Kaida and Uncle looked away just in time to hear Zuko's screams and cries, but not to see what had happened to the Prince.

_-- The Avatar Returns --_

_Three years have passed since Prince Zuko's banishment. Still no sign of the Avatar, though he feels we are growing nearer. I'm not quite sure if I can believe that… Iroh and I both agree that he has become…obsessed with restoring his honor. But what good is honor if his father still doesn't give a damn? All Ozai wants is the Avatar dead. And he's been gone for one hundred years. There is no way that the Avatar is still alive. Not after this long. And after three years of searching the globe, I doubt we have much luck anymore. But here we are, on this wild goose-rabbit chase…all for Zuko's sanity and his "honor and place in the throne of his nation." I have told him that his attempts are useless, but he refuses to listen. He's getting slowly better at fire bending, Iroh's lessons are helping. But how does he expect to defeat the Avatar after the hundred years he's had to master all the elements. I don't know what think anymore. It's Zuko's sixteenth birthday today. Iroh is making the crew help celebrate with us. I wrote him a poem that I will share tonight at the celebrations. I hope he enjoys it. Oh, bother…what is that boy up to now?_

The sounds of the brush strokes that Kaida made on her private scroll as she wrote all that down diminished as she finished. Zuko was babbling on about something on deck and he was calling her name. Sighing, Kaida wiped clean her calligraphy brush and left her scroll open to dry. Sighing, she stood, causing her black cotton kimono to rustle as she did so. Kaida wrapped her arms around themselves, making sure that the sleeves of the kimono covered her arms. Yes, in the south pole it was really quite cold. The seventeen year old girl hadn't changed much since she was fourteen. She had grown another three inches, so she now stood at a height of five feet and ten inches. Zuko had, in turn, grown since he was thirteen. Though he wasn't nearly as tall as Kaida. He stood at a height of five feet and seven inches, only three inches shorter…but he did still have growing to do.

She surfaced and bowed to the Prince, receiving a bow back in greeting before getting dragged off towards the front of the metal ship. He was pointing towards a clump of icebergs.

"See? Kaida, don't you see?" Kaida raised her brow and looked hard at the iceberg. It looked just like every other iceberg in the damn sea. She turned to Zuko and shook her head.

"What are you pointing at? Another iceberg? It's not like we haven't seen every other damned iceberg in this whole damned ocean, is it?" Zuko looked flustered and quickly looked over to where he was pointing, his other arm still holding tightly on Kaida's thin arm.

"There…there was a light there earlier. Wasn't there, Uncle? I saw it, you saw it. The men saw it." Kaida blinked and rolled her eyes, trying to pull away from Zuko but failed. Even if she was taller, she was still thin and he was stronger than her. She sighed and raised her brow.

"I know it's your birthday, Zuko…but that doesn't mean you can claim glowing lights shining all over. Have you suspected that it was the Southern Lights?" At this, Uncle nodded and she smirked softly. So he had, but Zuko still didn't believe it.

"I'm not kidding. There was. Wasn't there Uncle? And besides, it was too powerful to be the Southern Lights. It had to have come from an extremely powerful source. And who else is that powerful but the Avatar himself!?" Zuko was becoming annoyed now…his temper had been short ever since his accident at the Agni Kai. Kaida watched his eyes quietly, shifting between his scarred and smooth flesh. He could tell she was watching him and he averted his eyes, not looking forward to hearing how it was all his fault that this had happened and they were all on that boat together because of him. Even though it was true, he didn't like admitting it. He had forced himself to forget that fact. It was not one of his favorite things that he had done in his life. Definitely not.

"Whatever you say, Zuko. Anyway, Happy Birthday." She said, turning with a swirl of fabric and hair upon her heels as she went back to her warm room beneath the ship. There she could at least continue her day of solitude in silence. And in solitude. Before she closed the steel door that separated the deck from the rest of the ship, she heard Zuko barking orders to begin heading towards the light. She sighed, shaking her head as she disappeared.

--

Within a few minutes of Kaida finding her solitude yet again, she was interrupted by the sounds of the ship scraping against something that didn't sound like it was supposed to be scraping up against. She sighed as she set down her calligraphy brush once again and let the parchment dry up silently. She grumbled to herself as she made her way to the deck of the ship. Before she could ask someone what the bloody hell was going on, Zuko ran past her, smiling like a damned maniac.

"Zuko! What the hell are you up to?" She shouted after him, slowly becoming a little more infuriated with him at his actions.

"We're at the water tribe where the Avatar is hiding!" Kaida sighed and shook her head. She would watch from the deck, like always whenever they invaded towns to look for the Avatar.

--

Kaida sighed, she was sitting on the edge of the ship with her legs hanging over the edge beneath her. Her hair sat still as she watched Zuko go about his business looking through the small water tribe village for the Avatar. She thought his efforts were useless as she watched him handle an elderly woman roughly. She would have called down to the banished prince against his actions had she not been watching a girl with a braid and looks in her hair trying to hold a boy back. The only boy around Zuko's age at that village was painted as a warrior. This village had a past. And it didn't seem like a good past.

"Where is the Avatar?" Zuko shouted yet again, pushing the old woman away from him and back towards the girl and her brother.

"We don't have him! We don't know who you're talking about! The Avatar hasn't been seen for hundreds of years!" There went the old woman again, turning around in the girl's arms.

"Lies! Men! Search the village!" With Zuko's order, the Fire Nation soldiers assembled around Zuko scattered to look for the Avatar. But before the first soldier arrived at the one of the ice huts, a young boy dressed in yellow and orange clothing floated down from above, landing in front of Zuko.

"Stop!" The boy cried. Both Kaida and Zuko knew from his clothing that he was an Air Nomad. They also knew that this had to be the last air bender. And therefore, the last Avatar.

"The Avatar." Both he and Kaida whispered. Kaida was much more interested now. The boy sent a jet of air at Zuko, causing him to stumble back. Within a few seconds, however, the prince was back on his feet and soon sending a blast of flame towards the boy.

"You're the Avatar! But you're just a boy!" Zuko called, as the boy dodged yet another blast of his fire.

"Well, you're just a teenager!" He retorted. Kaida couldn't help but to giggle at that. She received a glare from Zuko, causing other water tribe natives to look up at her. With a swift movement, however, Kaida hopped back over the side of the ship and landed on the deck with a soft thud. She smiled as she poked her head back over the side. In their distraction, Zuko had managed to get guards surrounding the Avatar. Kaida smirked, her boy was learning.

"Surrender now, Avatar. If you don't want us to hurt your water tribe." Zuko stated, bringing the attention of everyone back to him and the Avatar rather than Kaida and the ship. She watched as the young boy gave up, hanging his head and allowing the soldiers to lead him to the ship.

"Aang! No!" Kaida's attention once again got torn back to the girl, who was leaving her family to protest the boy getting carried away.

"It's okay, Katara. I'll be alright." He stated, sparing a final glance back as the door that had so previously allowed Zuko and the soldiers to invade was closed. Kaida left her perch with a twirl of hair and silk.

Below the deck, Zuko was barking orders to the soldiers, telling them to put the Avatar in his room.

"But, Prince Zuko, what if he tries to escape?" The head of the crew came up to him, bowing before him quietly.

"Then watch him and make sure he doesn't escape!" He shouted, his temper rising slowly. The soldier sensed this and he quickly bowed and began ordering those lesser than him around. Within a few seconds, Zuko was standing alone in the steel corridor. He quickly made his way up to the deck, but Kaida beat him into meeting her.

"Kaida, I finally have him! I have our ticket back home!" The eager voice of his brought a smile to her face. She smiled at him once again, and he actually had the small hints of a smile back at her. They hugged, and before Kaida new it, their lips met.

_-- Nothing Happened --_

It was a few sweet seconds before either of them realized what had happened and they parted. Kaida's eyes were wide and a blush slowly crept over her skin in a deep shade of crimson. Zuko quickly turned away, hiding a blush from her. Kaida blinked in the silence that came from that kiss. She was stunned, unable to move, and strangely wanting another kiss. She turned on her heels, trying to make sure that it looked like nothing had happened. Other than another bickering battle between the two. She sighed, looking back to him as she thought of what she could say. She opened her mouth to say something - what, she didn't know - but Zuko beat her to it.

"Sorry, Kaida…I…I…"

"It's fine, Zuko."

"As far as anyone else is concerned…"

"Nothing happened. I know." She stated, a tint of sadness in her voice. She took a breath, her heart was racing terribly as she was wondering what he would do if she went in for another kiss. She bit her lip as she nodded in his direction, deciding not to do anything for the moment, no matter how loud her feelings were screaming at her. She would go back to her room and act as though nothing happened. Because no one else was there, so it had to be true…

She sighed. No matter how much she tried to deny it, Kaida really wanted it to happen. Known to other people, not just her and the prince. He had been so…happy before that. And then he had went back to his gloomy self. She sat down on her bed, leaning back against the steel walls and staring at the ceiling, her eyes slowly beginning to glimmer with the hints of tears. She blinked them away…why would she cry over something so stupid as wanting another kiss? Shouldn't she be happy. She figured that her current emotional status was because of the way the whole thing was handled. Lovely…just lovely…

Noise could be heard coming from the corridor outside her room, making her fall from her state of mind back onto the earth. She blinked, standing and going to her door. She opened the door but was quickly shoved back inside by one of the guards. "Stay inside, Miss. The Avatar has escaped." Was all he said before he jerked the door closed and left with the group of people chasing after the seemingly twelve year old boy. She blinked, staring at the steel in front of her for a few moments before she pulled it open and slipped outside her room, walking up to the deck quietly, dodging as a blast of fire came her way. There was that boy behind and above her, calling the attention of everyone on deck. She looked back to the men fighting the boy, they weren't paying attention to her, least of all to anyone in the air. There was a flying bison coming their way, that same water tribe girl and her brother sitting on top, looking a little worse for wear. Kaida smirked quietly before Zuko caught sight of her and tackled her, causing the both of them to fall to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kaida!" He scolded, gold eyes looking at her with something that she couldn't quite name. It was a mix of emotions really, and for one reason or another, that look caused her heart to flutter.

"I…" She was at a loss for words right now…not that she meant to be that way, but she was.

"Didn't they tell you to stay in your cabin?" He meant the guards. Kaida's eyes glanced upwards, the boy was jumping off the tower, gliding towards his friends and his bison. She then looked at the guards, they were tossing flames at him. "Well?" She was pulled back to Zuko.

"Y…yeah, they did."

"So what the hell are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to help, Zuko."

"Help? How were you going to help, Kaida? You can't even bend!" The words slipped away from him before he could think and the look on the face of the girl that lay beneath him made him immediately regret his decision to speak. Those eyes turned cold and she struggled beneath him.

"Get. Off." She stated, her voice cold. Everyone had given up chasing after the Avatar, he was out of their reach for now. They turned, instead, to the two teenagers on board. The old general Iroh stepped forward to console the two. Everyone had heard Zuko's stinging words. He didn't move from his place, however. "Kaida….I'm…"

"Get off me, Zuko! Just get off and leave me alone!" She struggled but he gave way, she pushed him away from her, glaring and heart pounding in her chest and mind telling her to just show this boy how wrong he was. But she couldn't. Not with everyone watching…

Kaida swallowed and got up, fighting back the urge to just pummel him with everything she had. The seventeen year old turned and stormed off deck, back into her room. She locked the door behind her before she collapsed on the floor, tears falling and lithe body shaking quietly.

_-- Happy Birthday --_

Zuko didn't move. He couldn't believe what he had just said. He knew that Kaida was more than a bit touchy on the subject of her not being able to bend. He knew that and yet he had still said it. He could tell that she was hurt terribly by his comment. He cursed himself over and over and then over again as he got up, his Uncle Iroh behind him and thinking of what to say to comfort his nephew.

The Prince really did not know what to do. He wanted to go apologize and comfort Kaida. But he knew that she was only going to push him away again…and he didn't feel like trying to explain to a girl who was older than him and who he respected why had been such an ass and why he had said those things. He sighed and moved to a small chair, sitting down as he was followed by his uncle. "Uncle, what do I do?" He asked, his face in his hands as his black ponytail fell forward. The old man shrugged and attempted to give his nephew a cup of tea. The teenager merely shook his head and Iroh shrugged, taking the tea for himself.

"I could talk to her if you like, Prince Zuko." The man stated in his gruff voice, one of his bushy brows raised quietly. The prince merely shrugged, then nodded. "Sure, if you can get her to talk…" He said, but his uncle didn't hear him. Iroh had turned on his heels before the prince could get an answer out.

--

Kaida had forced herself to stop crying when the knock came to her door. She wiped her eyes and glared at the metal. "Go away!" She yelled, her voice shaky with unresolved anger. She took a breath and stepped forward, nearly jumping when she heard Iroh's calm voice calling to her.

"I brought you tea, Miss Kaida. I thought that maybe we could talk about my nephew's -"

"I don't want to talk. And sorry, Iroh, but I don't want any tea." She stated, still shaky with her voice and body as she stared at the metal, eyes puffy and swollen. She waited for a response, but one didn't come for a few seconds. She figured the old man had left, so when she went to sit down on her bed and he spoke again, she almost jumped.

"Fine. We don't have to talk. But I would like to come in and give you tea. It will help calm you." Okay, that got her. Kaida did want some company, anyway. She sighed and shuffled to her door, unlocking it and opening it a crack. "Zuko isn't with you…is he?" She asked, when she received a shake of the head in response, she opened it wider and allowed the old man entrance. She respected him…that was one of the reasons she couldn't turn him away. Plus, he did make a mean cup of soothing tea. And that was probably what she needed most at this moment.

--

Despite how much Kaida tried to refuse speech with Iroh, he eventually coaxed it out of her. And she told him everything…her entire life story took up most of their time. And when their tea was finished, he would refill and wait for Kaida to continue. Nothing else had happened that day to cause them to pull out of their conversation. They were chasing after the Avatar and his friends, and Kaida wasn't too keen on seeing Zuko again for the moment. Iroh was a good listener…he always had been. Maybe that was why he was so easy to talk to. Kaida couldn't talk to Zuko…he interrupted her too much and made her nervous. Something about him always had.

"So why haven't you told Prince Zuko this?" Iroh asked after she had finished with the story of her life.

"Because. I can't. I've never felt like I could tell him. I've always figured he would…do something that would screw me over for the rest of my life."

"Why would he do that?"

"…Because, no offense or anything, he was born and raised a Fire Nation Prince in war. What are they supposed to do to invaders and whoever threatens their throne? Eradicate them…"

"But you don't threaten his throne, and you aren't an invader. And I was born a Prince in the time of war. Do you see me sauntering down to my brother with you in tow?"

"…No, I'm not. And no, you're not doing that. But still. You and Fire Lord Ozai are completely different. He screwed you over and brought his family into it. He raised a crazy, psycho little -"

"Alright, I get it. I understand. Have you ever told him why you can't bend?"

"I told you that I can't…it would -"

"Yes, I know. Ruin your life. So you said. I didn't mean directly…what does he think the reason is?"

"He thinks that I can bend, but I don't because it could kill me…" There was silence as Kaida finished her reply. Iroh blinked and raised a confused, bushy brow at her.

"…What? You told him that?" It was then that she realized how stupid it had been of her to say that. Only once in the recorded history had a bender been killed by his own bending. And that was an accident. "What does he think it is because of?"

"Yeah…haven't told him that. After I told him that it would kill me, he pretty much backed off…" The candle on her table spluttered, there was wax spreading slowly all over the surface. It had burnt out in the time the two spoke. Kaida sighed and blew out the dying wick, a fresh aroma of cherries and their blossoms spread. Yes, the candle wasn't necessarily there for light, but for smell. She smiled softly as she removed a knife from underneath the forearm of her kimono. She began scraping up the quickly drying wax with the dull edge of the blade, focusing on that rather than explaining her reasoning more to Iroh.

"Well, I think we have spoken for long enough, Kaida. And would you please join us for Prince Zuko's birthday celebration? I know he would enjoy it if you showed…" That made her pause in her work, looking up as the old man stood and made his way to her door.

"I'll think about it, Iroh…I don't know yet." With that, Kaida was left alone. What was she going to do? She did want to go to his little party…but she didn't know if that would make it seem like she had forgiven him. And she most definitely had not.

--

Zuko had been holed up in his room for the rest of the day. He simply lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what Kaida was saying to his Uncle right about now. He had stopped by her door before continuing to his room. She was talking about something with her family. He had decided not to disturb them. Of course, that was best considering the look he had received from the older girl earlier that afternoon…

A knock came to his door and he sat up, looking at it and silently hoping it was Kaida. "Come in." He called, sitting up straighter and moving so that his legs hung over the side of the mattress, gold eyes watching as the door opened. His heart sunk as he saw it was his uncle. He sighed and lay back down. "What do you want?" He stated, cold in his tone.

"I just finished talking to Kaida, she's really quite upset, Prince Zuko." Iroh said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed at his nephew's feet. Zuko raised his brow and lifted his head, glaring at his uncle with his good eye.

"Really? Because you know, I really couldn't tell with that look she gave me earlier." He said sarcastically as he brought his head back down. "I take it she wants to get off at the next stop, and never speak to me again." Iroh smirked and chuckled at his nephew's reaction.

"No. Actually, she said she would think about coming to your dinner tonight." Zuko looked up at his uncle, hope hiding somewhere in those distorted features of his. Iroh merely nodded before standing up.

"Come on, dinner will be ready soon, Prince Zuko. It's your birthday, come celebrate."

_-- Competition --_

Kaida, Zuko, and Iroh walked down the ramp jutting from their ship's prow. They had docked in a fire nation naval yard, trying to find someone to repair their ship. Yes, the fight with the Avatar a few days before had caused the bow of it to be nearly destroyed. Wonderful…just wonderful. And now here they were, waiting on the docks while their ship was repaired. Both Iroh and Zuko wore their Fire Nation armor. Kaida was dressed in a plain crimson kimono, the golden obi quietly signifying her allegiance with the fire nation. Not that she really wanted to show that at this point…but whatever. She couldn't help her nationality.

She had forgiven Zuko for his 'slip up' the other day. Not entirely, but she was at least talking to him now and everything between them wasn't too terribly awkward. Until Uncle Iroh said something about that stupid kiss they had shared in front of the entire crew at Zuko's party. Kaida and Zuko both glared at the old man, though Zuko figured that Iroh had seen something rather than heard anything from Kaida. For that, she had been grateful. She looked over to the boy as he addressed his Uncle about getting the ship fixed as soon as possible. He then got angry and Iroh for something…Kaida hadn't been paying attention so she didn't know what it was about.

"Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?" A cold, hard voice that made Kaida jump sounded from behind them. The group of three turned 'round, surprised looks upon their faces.

"Captain Zhao." Both Kaida and Zuko spoke his name at the same time, surprised to see an old face. Despite the fact that they really did not want to see that.

"Actually, it's Commander now. And General Iroh." The man bowed at this point. "Ah, and Lady Kaida. It is good to see you again." He took her hand and kissed her fingers. Zuko glared at him quietly while Kaida seemed really quite disturbed, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"It's Retired General now, Commander Zhao." Iroh stated, not showing that he was surprised to see the man here.

"Well, what brings you here? Not that you aren't welcome. The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcome anytime." At this point, Kaida felt really quite worthless in the eyes of such an…important man. Not that it should matter anyway…

"Our ship was damaged. We're waiting for repairs." She said, distaste in her voice as her eyes stared at him quietly.

"Oh?" Zhao looked up at their ship, a small smirk on his face. "That's a lot of damage. How did it happen?" Zuko turned frantic slightly before he hid his distress by looking at his uncle rather Zhao.

"Tell him, Uncle. Tell him how we crashed into an Earth Kingdom ship." It seemed as though Zhao could smell the fear leaking away from Zuko's form. Kaida pulled at the prince's sleeve as the commander invited them to have a drink.

"I'm sorry, Commander. But we really must be going." She stated, her loathing for this man pouring from her tongue. The two teenagers turned on their heels, starting to leave until Iroh stopped them both.

"Prince Zuko, Lady Kaida, show Commander Zhao your respect." He turned back to Zhao, teenager's arms in both hands. Kaida silently glared at the older, shorter man as she thought about pulling away. Zuko only glared at him and began following along reluctantly as Iroh agreed to the invitation.

--

Both Kaida and Zuko were tired of hearing Zhao go on and on about how he was going to have the Earth Kingdom capital under Fire Nation rule. They both sat in really rather uncomfortable chairs, neither sitting properly. They both exchanged glances as Zhao turned towards them, a malicious grin on his face. "The Fire Lord will finally have his victory and his place in history as the only man who has conquered the world."

"My father is a fool then." Kaida passed Zuko a worried glance, scolding him silently for his tongue. It was his tongue that had gotten them into this mess before and now it was his tongue digging them all in deeper. "That is, if he believes everyone will follow him willingly." Zhao only smirked and sat down in a chair in front of the two, elbows on his knees as his torso protruded forward.

"Two years at sea and I still you have still yet to learn respect…" He looked at Kaida before smiling, a seductive glow in his dark eyes. She only rolled the eyes of her own and looked away, completely appalled. "How is the hunt for the Avatar going, Prince Zuko?" He asked, turning his attention back to the banished prince.

"We haven't found him yet, Commander Zhao. Still searching." Kaida interjected, not wanting Zuko to dig them in deeper. Zhao smirked and leaned back, nodding softly.

"Of course…a hundred years since he's died. There is no way that he could still be alive. Is there, Prince Zuko?" Zuko shook his head, watching his Uncle browse a weapons rack on the adjacent wall to the group of three.

"No. We haven't found anything. Nothing at all."

"Prince Zuko. You will tell me what you have found if you have one speck of loyalty left in you. Or would you prefer the Avatar bring the Fire Lord down?" Zhao stood, scooting the chair backwards as he did so. Both teenagers stood as well, Kaida looking Zhao dead in the eye.

"We told you. We have found nothing." She stated through gritted teeth, she allowed herself to be pulled away by Zuko, towards the entrance of the tent and back to the ship. However, before they could even think about getting through the tent entrance, they were blocked by guards, as one of them came forward, Kaida gave Zuko a look that held slight worry in it. They turned around as the guard had finished his report, stepping aside as Zhao came forward, a smirk upon his broad face.

"Tell me again, Prince Zuko. How was your ship damaged?"

--

Zhao had forced the prince to tell him everything he knew about the Avatar. And when all was said and done, the commander had left them in his tent, guards blocking the entrance. Kaida was sitting in the chair, her chin in her hands as she glared after both the guards and Iroh. Why did he have to drag them along? She looked up and over at the boy sitting next to her. He had defeat written all over his face. She sighed and moved, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Don't let him get to you, Zuko…he's just like your sister…" She stated, enjoying the contact with him for right now. Maybe a little too much. But no matter.

Zhao entered once again and Kaida sat up, watching his movements quietly. "Once I am out to sea, my men will escort you to your ship, Prince Zuko. You are free to go then."

"Scared of a little competition, Commander Zhao?" At this, the man laughed.

"Me? Scared of you? Hardly. You're just a banished prince. Your home is your ship. You have no allies. Hell, your own father didn't even want you." Kaida put a warning hand upon Zuko's arm as the boy stood up. Spirits bless, that commander really knew which buttons to push to get Zuko over the edge.

"Once I return home with the Avatar, father will welcome me back with open arms. I will have my throne." Kaida sighed and leaned back. Trying to keep this boy from doing anything stupid was utterly useless at this point.

"Really? But if he wanted you back, wouldn't he let you come home. Even if you didn't have the Avatar? And don't try to deny it, Prince Zuko. You have the scar to prove it."

"Would you like one to match?" The prince growled, stepping closer to the Commander slowly. Both Iroh and Kaida exchanged glances that spelt 'Doom' across their faces.

"Are you actually challenging me, Prince Zuko?" Zhao seemed unperturbed when Zuko nodded.

"An Agni Kai. At sunset."

"Zuko!" Came the voice of Kaida as Zhao agreed and walked away. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You're a bloody idiot! Don't you remember what happened last time?" He turned on her, golden eyes cold.

--

Zuko had won. He had beaten Zhao at an Agni Kai. He began walking away from the arena, towards Kaida and his Uncle. He heard a yell coming from behind him and turned around, Iroh had just flipped Zhao onto the ground, Kaida standing over him in a stance that just spelled she would attack at any moment. The girl spat on the Commander and the prince couldn't help but to laugh to himself. He watched them quietly, wondering what they were doing. Then he heard his uncle speak words of praise. "Even in exile, my nephew has more honor than you do, Commander Zhao." He beamed inside, though he didn't show it on his face or in his emotions. It was then that his companions spun on their heels and began walking towards him. "And thank you for the tea, Commander. It was delicious."

He could tell that Kaida was excited for him, she was smiling and soft looking. What he didn't know was that Kaida wanted nothing more right now than to jump on him and hug him. She was proud. He smiled back at her softly before looking at his uncle. "Did you really mean that, Uncle?"

"Of course. You know tea is my favorite." He stated, smirking softly as the three made their way back to the ship. Kaida smiled and chuckled at Iroh's answer, watching Zuko from the corner of her eyes quietly.

_-- The One Who Got Away --_

It had been three days since Iroh had came with the news that they had no idea where the Avatar was. Zuko had been meditating - calm, cool, and collected he had been. But since then, he had been tense and grumpy. Kaida had steered clear of the teenager since then, choosing to spend her days on the deck of the ship or in her quarters. Currently, they sat on the deck of their ship, sitting around a low table and enjoying their lunch of fresh fish. Well, except for Kaida. She was one of those odd balls that didn't like fish. She instead had a plate of fruit sitting in front of her. She smiled softly as she picked through the different berries native to the village that they had recently stopped at. Zuko looked up and his ears shot back as he picked up something about the Avatar.

"The Avatar is on Kyoshi!" Zuko stood, ready to turn on his heels and head back to the ship to get everything ready to capture the Avatar.

"Prince Zuko. Are you going to eat that?" Iroh piped in as he pointed to the unfinished food. Zuko turned around and stole his plate of fish back, Kaida snickered softly.

"I was saving it for later. Now come on. We have to get going. Didn't you hear? The Avatar is on Kyoshi island. We cannot let him escape!" He stormed off, his food in hand. Kaida smiled and began laughing despite however hard she wanted to just shut up and not make Zuko's temper any worse than it already was. But his defensiveness over his food and the face that Iroh was giving right now was really too much.

--

They landed in Kyoshi two days later. And though Kaida was ordered to stay on the ship, she told Zuko that he owed her for saying that she couldn't defend herself. And so, here she was, dressed in a silver kimono with daggers hidden in her sleeves. She didn't expect to fight…she was sure that Zuko was going to keep her sitting pretty on that Rhino-lizard they had her sitting on right now. Not that they weren't already


	8. The One Who Got Away

_**Author's Note :** Yay! Another chapter! About time? I thought so, too. I used 's transcript for the episode "The Warriors of Kyoshi" as a basic guide for this chapter. And I added on to it because Zuko has such a minimal part in that entire episode and Kaida needs lines, too!_

_Anyway, read and review, please. I appreciate it greatly and it'll help me get motivated for actually working on the story and getting some of your great feedback! I'll give the people who are special to me keeping motivation with this story in the next chapter or two. Promise!_

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike & Bryan as well as Viacom, Nick, etc. I can only lay claim to the stories I write and the characters I create of my own volitionlike Kaida._

**Fire in the Skies**

_-- The One Who Got Away --_

It had been three days since Iroh had came with the news that they had no idea where the Avatar was. Zuko had been meditating - calm, cool, and collected he had been. But since then, he had been tense and grumpy. Kaida had steered clear of the teenager since then, choosing to spend her days on the deck of the ship or in her quarters. Currently, they sat on the deck of their ship, sitting around a low table and enjoying their lunch of fresh fish. Well, except for Kaida. She was one of those odd balls that didn't like fish. She instead had a plate of fruit sitting in front of her. She smiled softly as she picked through the different berries native to the village that they had recently stopped at. Zuko looked up and his ears shot back as he picked up something about the Avatar.

"The Avatar is on Kyoshi!" Zuko stood, ready to turn on his heels and head back to the ship to get everything ready to capture the Avatar.

"Prince Zuko. Are you going to eat that?" Iroh piped in as he pointed to the unfinished food. Zuko turned around and stole his plate of fish back, Kaida snickered softly.

"I was saving it for later. Now come on. We have to get going. Didn't you hear? The Avatar is on Kyoshi island. We cannot let him escape!" He stormed off, his food in hand. Kaida smiled and began laughing despite however hard she wanted to just shut up and not make Zuko's temper any worse than it already was. But his defensiveness over his food and the face that Iroh was giving right now was really too much.

--

They landed in Kyoshi two days later. And though Kaida was ordered to stay on the ship, she told Zuko that he owed her for saying that she couldn't defend herself. And so, here she was, dressed in a silver kimono with Sais hidden in her sleeves. She didn't expect to fight…she was sure that Zuko was going to keep her sitting pretty on that war rhino they had her on right now. Not that they weren't already sitting on mounts of their own, but Zuko was just extra paranoid about her safety. Kaida sighed as she leaned back in the saddle, arms crossed in front of her chest as the light of the day reached her eyes while the prow of the ship continued to open. As soon as she heard that incredibly loud "clink" she urged the animal beneath her to move forward. She rode alongside Zuko in the little mini brigade. Iroh was back on the ship, probably playing Pai Sho with the remaining men on the ship. That or enjoying the quiet with tea.

Everyone was ready for the attack against the avatar this time. Zuko sure as hell was not going to underestimate the twelve year old boy. Even if that was what the Avatar was. A boy. But, he had eluded and beaten Zuko before. He could do it again.

"Avatar! Come out, you cannot hide forever!" He shouted before he turned to his men and told them to find him.

"Really, Zuko. Do you have to be so dramatic?" Kaida sighed, leaning back in her saddle with her arms crossed over her chest again.

"What do you -" The fire prince was cut off, however, as a green clothed…person attacked him and knocked him out of the saddle. Was it a woman? Kaida wasn't entirely sure, but she hopped off her war rhinoceros before she could get knocked off like Zuko had. She grabbed the pair of Sais from the sleeves of her kimono and jumped as Zuko sent flames flying from his feet. Tucking her legs beneath her as she jumped, she readied to roll and attack the nearest warrior.

"Nice try, Avatar! These girls can't save you!" Zuko shouted, standing up in the middle of the street. Kaida was busy attacking one of the girls, dodging and jabbing when she got the chance. And then his voice reached their ears and Kaida watched out of the corner of her eye as she watched the Avatar fly towards Zuko and knock him into a building. Her heart raced with worry as the warrior she was fighting with jabbed at her with her fans. She very nearly missed.

One of the men fell pray to the girls with the fans. He fell unconscious a few feet from Kaida and she knew that they were in some serious trouble here. They were outmatched. Looking for an opening, Kaida quickly rolled over to the side, dodging another attack before standing and running towards where she had last seen Zuko fly through a wall. However, the Kyoshi Warrior did not give up. The other girl threw a fan after her and the edge sliced through the top of her arm.

Kaida gasped and paused, panicked eyes staring at the hole in her kimono that was slowly spreading with blood. Biting down on her lip, the teenager placed her other hand over the wound and continued after Zuko. She found him lying in heap on top of a pile of shattered wood. "Zuko, we have to get out of here." The prince read the panic in her eyes and nodded, groaning as he pulled himself to his feet. Standing unsteadily, he could see Kaida's kimono slowly changing color beneath her fingertips. "But your arm!"

"I'm fine! We have to get out of here! The avatar is leaving!" She stated and followed him as they ran back towards the war rhinos, dodging attacks with Zuko flinging fireballs at many of the others.

"Back to the ship!" He caught sight of the Avatar leaving on his flying bison as he helped Kaida mount. He then mounted himself and tugged his rhino towards the ship. "Don't loose sight of him!" They made it to the ship in no time, though the village behind them was slowly burning up. A smirk slowly grew on Kaida's face as they entered the prow of the ship.

"Always the melodramatic one, aren't you, Zuko." She stated, smiling softly as he dismounted and began helping her do the same.

"I'll be mad about that later. Let's get you to the infirmary." His voice was soft as he lifted her down, holding her still as the other guards that had gotten onto the ship raced past. He carried her to the infirmary, leaving her in the capable hands of the healers before racing onto deck. Just in time to get drenched by that giant sea serpent that the Avatar was currently riding. He glared at the boy as he jumped onto the back of his bison once more.

"Damn…" He muttered, now drenched with a large scowl upon his face.

--

About an hour later, Zuko was sitting outside the infirmary in dry clothes. The healers had told him that his friend had passed out from the shock of the blood loss. They told him she was fine. However, the fire prince was still nervously sitting outside in a chair that was brought to him by the healers. His uncle stood next to him, looking at the door thoughtfully. "Kaida will be fine, Prince Zuko. Why do you worry?"

"…Because. It was my duty to protect her and I didn't." He stated sourly, glaring at his uncle quietly. It was quiet for a few seconds while Iroh kept that thoughtful look upon his face.

"No it wasn't, Prince Zuko. Lady Kaida went willingly out there and fought willingly. She can protect herself, never forget that." Zuko turned and glared after the old man quietly, ignoring the comment the best he could. The sound of a door opening reached his ears and his head snapped back to stare at the head healer.

"Lady Kaida is awake now, Prince Zuko and General Iroh. You can see her if you like." The elderly woman said, moving aside as the boy stood rapidly and went inside. Iroh followed a few seconds behind.


	9. Uncle Iroh

_**Author's Note :** Yay! Another chapter! This one is definitely the longest chapter in the whole story so far. I kinda like writing long chapters, but it makes me worried that I'm not going to end them. This took up about four and a half pages of typing it up on word in size twelve font. Exciting, I know. Not really...but that's okay. Please read and review._

_And, as promised, here are the people who have continually made me feel good about continuing on in this story : God'sboxer777, RueBroadway, Seren-Chan, XxAnimeCutiexX, Yumiko-san, Akuhime0703, NatureCalls, Panda-chan31, facethesky, TaMinsHiddenShadow, and NiinaKyo. If I misspelled your names, please tell me. I'd hate to have to do that to you..._

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike & Bryan as well as Viacom, Nick, etc. I can only lay claim to the stories I write and the characters I create of my own volition - like Kaida_

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Fire in the Skies

_-- Uncle Iroh --_

It had been about a week since their attack on Kyoshi island. Zuko was fluctuating between worrying about Kaida and worrying about getting to the Avatar in time. He was filled with anxiety, especially now that his uncle had gone off to bathe and had yet to return. It had been almost an hour. Kaida followed him quietly as he searched the area that they had last seen Iroh in. "Uncle Iroh! Where are you?" He yelled as the pair emerged from tall reads and into a clearing that had various natural cauldrons of earth filled with bubbling water. Kaida snickered slightly as Zuko's worry was put to shame. There was Uncle Iroh, sitting in one of the baths with a happy grin on his face and his clothes hanging on a branch beside him.

"Uncle! It is time to leave!"

"Over here!" Was his answer, chuckling softly as he waved to the pair. Kaida giggled again in response.

"Uncle…we need to move on. I will not lose the Avatar! We are so close to closing in on him now!" Zuko protested, ignoring the slight giggles coming from behind him.

"Come join me, Prince Zuko. You look tired. Soak away your troubles!" There was a pause as Zuko glared at his uncle.

"My troubles cannot be soaked away. Let's leave!" Kaida stepped forward, placing a hand on the teenaged boy's shoulder strategically, looking up the few centimeters to meet his eyes. He had grown another inch or two since they stopped at Kyoshi.

"Listen to your teacher, Zuko. You could do with the relaxation for once in your life."

"Yes, I even heated the water myself! It's perfect!" Iroh sounded in the background, grinning as he blew hot steam onto the water again. Kaida chuckled and looked at Zuko, who glared at the both of them in turn.

"We need to leave. Now. Uncle, get out of that water!" Zuko ordered, causing the retired general to frown and stand. Kaida immediately spun around, hair flying and snickering softly as she saw Zuko block his vision with a hand in front of his eyes.

"Come on, Zuko. Let the old man have his fun. Give him another thirty minutes." Zuko nodded stiffly and spun around on his heels.

"You have thirty minutes to get back to the ship before we leave without you. Understood?" The only answer that the fire prince and his companion received was the satisfied sigh as Iroh sunk back into the water.

--

Kaida led the way back to the ship quietly, watching Zuko from the corners of her eyes. "What's wrong, Zuko?" The prince was caught by surprise by her sudden question, she could tell in the way his stride stumbled slightly.

"Nothing. Why would you ask?" He stated, lying to her face. Kaida rolled her eyes and turned to stop in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared silently. He stopped short, nearly running into her as he did so. He took a step back away from her, watching her quietly as he waited for an explanation.

"You look troubled." Was all she said. She didn't seem to notice that the step back from her was something that Zuko's mind made him do. Even if he didn't exactly mind the closeness. Though the prince was sure that she had noticed his distance from her as of late.

"How could you tell?" Another glare and a roll of the eyes from Kaida was all it took to get him to realize that he had said something wrong.

"Please, Zuko. Your whole behavior is screaming something is wrong with you. Your steps were off…"

"You…were counting my steps?" He asked, a little skeptically. He knew that Kaida had a problem with counting her own steps…but counting his, too?

"Yes. And you're off. Something's wrong. So what is it?" It was Zuko's turn to glare this time. The girl ignored him, waiting for an answer as she watched him quietly with one of her dark brows raised.

He resisted the urge to step closer to her and wrap his arms around her, holding her tightly to him and never letting go. He wondered if she knew that whatever was going on his mind had to deal mainly with her. He turned his golden eyes away, doing his best at looking uninterested.

"I'm worried."

"…About?"

"You." Kaida smirked and choked back laughter when she got the answer. Hadn't she proved a week ago that she could take care of herself? She patted the Sais hidden safely in the sleeves of her crimson kimono.

"Zuko. Haven't we -" She was cut off as he pulled her into a hug. Alright, so the temptation of holding her was too strong for him to resist. Though he kept the fact that he wanted another repeat of what happened back at the South Pole to himself. Trying to deny the fact himself. Kaida wasn't exactly sure what to do. She couldn't really do anything due to the fact that her arms were still crossed in front of her chest and she sort of wanted to hug him back. She rested her chin on his shoulder and bit down on her lower lip.

She shouldn't want this closeness from her best friend. But she did. And ever since that kiss back at the South Pole, she hadn't been able to keep her thoughts far from wondering if it would ever work. If he wanted the same things that she did. Though she highly doubted it for reasons that she could not explain. Zuko released her and looked away again, stepping backwards again.

"Let's get back to the ship…they'll be wondering where we are…" He stated dryly. Kaida's heart sunk. She was unaware of the fact that it had been hard for Zuko to turn away from her right now. Biting down on her lower lip, she spun on her heels and muttered to herself.

"Fine. Let's go." She stated sharply over her shoulder. She heard him heave a heavy sigh and he quickly reached her and grabbed her arm. Wincing, she turned. "Careful where you grab, Zuko."

"Sorry…I…" Zuko stated, watching her glare at him quietly. It just occurred him that she was mad at him. But for what? He voiced his question as to the reason behind her hostility towards him.

"Zuko. Arm." She stated shortly, glaring at where his hand was. He loosened his grip but kept his arm there.

"So why are you angry at me, Kaida."

"If I told you, I'd have to -" Cut off again by Zuko. Though this time it wasn't just his arms around her that kept her from speaking anymore. It was the firm press of his lips against hers. The hand that he used to turn her back to him was still on her arm, gripping her softly. While his other hand had wrapped around her thin waist and pulled her into him. Both sets of eyes were closed as the kiss dragged on.

Kaida was the one to pull away, no matter how hard she wanted to _not_ do that. They had to get back to the ship. If they didn't soon, they were going to sent a search party after them. That much was for certain. And Kaida didn't exactly want to be caught kissing the Fire Prince in front of the ship's crew. Considering that she lived on that damned thing. A sad sigh escaped her lips as she turned in his grip on her, her eyes downcast as she waited for him to say something.

"You're right. We should get back." It was like he had read her thoughts as she turned, loosening his hold without letting her go. Zuko watched her quietly, wondering what she was thinking. She had kissed back so…was that a good sign? Oh hell, of course it was! Grumbling to himself in his mind, he gave her a hug from behind before letting go of her, lingering slightly as she looked up at him with quiet eyes.

"Yeah…come on, Fire Prince." She stated, smiling softly as she watched him quietly before beginning to lead the way back to the ship again.

--

A half hour later, Prince Zuko, Kaida, and a soldier they had brought with them from the ship went back into the clearing they had last seen Uncle Iroh in. They were very unaware that the old man was busy dealing with a group of earth benders trying to take him to Ba Sing Se right now. "Uncle! Uncle! Where are you?" He shouted, noticing that the old man was not there. But his clothes remained.

"Sir, maybe he thought that you already left him behind?" The soldier suggested, causing Kaida to turn and raise one of her brows at him. He didn't say anything more, so she rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the clearing.

"Something is off, though." Zuko stated, walking up to the tub that Iroh had been sitting in and poking at one of the rock spires that had rendered Iroh immobile and no longer dangerous. He ignored the silent confrontation between Kaida and the soldier behind him. "These rocks…" His voice faded as he felt Kaida get closer to him, he moved aside, distancing himself from her in front of the guard.

"It looks like a landslide, sir." The man stated, causing Kaida to turn on her heels swiftly and glare at him.

"Oh please. Land doesn't slide uphill. There's a little thing called gravity, keeping that from happening you idi -"

"Kaida." Zuko stated his warning, eyeing her quietly with his good eye as he cut her off. Kaida sighed and turned back around, walking the perimeter of the pool.

"What are you thinking, Zuko?" The girl asked, seeing him staring at the fire nation uniform hanging on the branch nearby.

"My uncle has been captured by earth benders!" The final revelation caused him to growl deeply, threatening to shoot fire at the nearest target. Which would have been Kaida or the soldier.

--

Kaida and Zuko were bent down over a small item. A rather…disgusting item, really. An old sandal that had fallen off someone's foot. Zuko poked it before lifting it up to his nose and sniffing it. He dropped it immediately and Kaida giggled softly. "That's Uncle Iroh, alright…" He stated dryly, falling back away from the sandal. Grabbing a stick nearby, the girl crouched in front of him and lifted the sandal up and away from her body by the thong that would hold it to the wearer's foot. Zuko and the rest of the men looked at her quizzically.

"What? Iroh can't walk with just one sandal, can he?" The answer was written on their faces as she walked back to the war rhinoceros she had ridden here. "Ugh. Fine. I'll carry it." She stated dryly, dropping it in a saddle back after she had mounted, stuffing the stick in there with it. She was smarter than Zuko in the sense that she knew not to touch it physically. Though she realized that she was going to regret that immediately after they had found Iroh due to the loss of the sent of cherry blossoms that her bags and rest of her items generally carried.

So she would have to work to get that scent back. Oh well…she would find someway to live with only one saddle bag on her mount if she really had to. "Come on Zuko. Get off the ground, time to save your uncle." She stated, a teasing smile upon her face as the boy stood and walked over to his mount.

They rode for a few minutes before Zuko stopped, seeing the trail that the bender's mounts had made. War ostriches. Nothing too miserable. Though that was what they got for being in the Earth Kingdom. Having to deal with their unique and fast rides. Kaida turned to Zuko when he looked up. "What is it now?"

"The Avatar!" Moving to pull the reigns to direct his mount towards the direction that the Avatar was headed, he faltered. There was still his uncle to rescue. Kaida watched him quietly, worry lining her face and filling her eyes. She edged closer to him, reaching a hand out to him. There was the indecisive expression on his face as he looked between the trail on the ground and where the sky bison was swiftly flying towards. Grumbling and cursing, Zuko shook Kaida's hand from his arm and urged his mount to follow the trail.

--

It didn't take long before they and the other two soldiers they had brought crouched over the edge of the pit that the benders and Iroh were standing in. Iroh was bent over the rock, hands splayed in front of him.

"We must crush these dangerous hands!" Cried one of the men, he was obviously the leader. The way everyone looked at him. Kaida started, reaching for her Sais to attack them now. However, Zuko held her back and motioned at her to wait. Glaring at him, she turned to watch the scene splay out before them. How could he just sit back and wait while his uncle was about to loose the most precious tools to any bender? Anger and annoyance bubbled in her as she watched the lead bender pull a bender towards him and Iroh. The boulder hovered above Iroh's hands by the sheer will of the man keeping it there.

In a flash of movement, Zuko jumped down into the pit and kicked the rock away just as the man was about to drop it. Kaida watched quietly, keeping her place as the boy landed sharply on the chain that bound Iroh and snapped it with his boot. Smiling softly, Kaida ran down to join them. The soldiers remained where they were. Bah. Cowards. Though she figured that they knew what they were doing as she heard them inch back to the little group of war rhinos.

"Nice form, Prince Zuko."

"Excellent." Kaida piped in, smiling at the boy and man in front of her.

"You taught me well, Uncle." Their little reunion was ended quickly, however. As the Captain of the Earth Benders addressed them.

"Three against five! You are outnumbered!" The man shouted, the earth benders formed a little circle around the three, which currently had their backs to each other. Iroh grinned and shook his head.

"That may be true. But you are outmatched." He stated. And at that moment, five boulders came flying towards them at the same time. Kaida ducked out of the way, rolling towards the closest earth bender as Iroh smashed three of the boulders with his loose chains and Zuko blasted the other two with his fire bending. Two of the soldiers threw a pair of boulders at Zuko's back, Kaida was busy with incapacitating one of the benders to really notice. However, when she had to dodge a rock coming back to the bender beside her, she saw that Iroh had sent them back to the benders who had assaulted his nephew. The two benders were knocked unconscious as Kaida continued to busy the bender in front of her with the blunt end of her Sais. They weren't trying to kill anyone here and she was pretty sure that if she accidentally stabbed them somewhere vital, it wasn't going to end up well for her or him.

Zuko had just launched a series of fire blasts after the captain, after having dodged the man's attack. Though that man just bent his head down and the flames dispersed over his helmet. So there _was_ a reason to them looking like onions. Intriguing. The captain raised two sheets of rock, meaning them to land on Zuko. But then chains gripped at the man's feet and Iroh pulled the man to his back. The sheets fell on top of the earth bender. Looking satisfied, Zuko and Iroh turned back to where Kaida was just as she was knocked off balance by the man she was attacking. Zuko lifted his fists, but Iroh shook his head, holding him back quietly. "Let her fight this one, Prince Zuko. She needs this one as her own fight." Zuko nodded, though a little reluctantly. As he turned back, the girl that he was slowly falling faster for was lifting her foot to do a nice spin kick to the throat of the earth bender. She succeeded because the man was distracted by the spinning weapons in her hands that had grown closer to his arms. The man was on the ground in a second, with Kaida standing above him. Her foot was pressed gently into his neck, blocking off the majority of his airway so that he could not attack her again.

Iroh chuckled as he surveyed the scene around them. The earth benders were lying in the dirt, groaning and some unconscious. Kaida stepped over her "kill", putting her weight onto her foot on his neck as she stepped over him to ensure that he would not be able to catch his breath in time to attack her back. The girl giggled softly as she turned swiftly back around. Zuko looked at her, cocking his head before he realized what she found so funny. Sighing, he turned to his uncle.

"Uncle Iroh. I am begging you, please. Get some clothes on." Iroh chuckled and nodded and Zuko looked away, though he could not turn away as Kaida had. He could hear the girl giggling nervously. He decided to join her, leaving his Uncle's side to wrap her up in his arms in a hug from behind.

"I'm really happy you're okay." He whispered into her ear, causing her to smile and giggle softly again.

"I'm happy you're okay, too. I told you I can take care of myself." Kaida stated, teasing softly as she placed her arms on top of his. He nodded in response to that and kissed her cheek. Blushing, Kaida bit down on her lip, averting her eyes without having to look back at Iroh.

"About time!" Iroh's voice sounded and Kaida blushed deeper, hiding behind her hair as Zuko scowled.


	10. The Solstice

_**Author's Note :** Hohmygosh! Another chapter? And in under less than twenty four hours? Has Trinny gone insane? Well, I'm sure I have. But that's not the point. I've actually just had more of the...motivation to work on this rather than any of my other projects - both art and writing and life. Anyway, another chapter, yes. Please read and review, I appreciate it. Another long chapter for you, so enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike & Bryan as well as Viacom, Nick, etc. I can only lay claim to the stories I write and the characters I create of my own volition - like Kaida_

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**Fire in the Skies**

_-- The Solstice --_

Well, there was no use hiding it now. Iroh had been finding any chance at all to get Kaida and Zuko together. The crew watched in silent humor as they watched the teenagers go through the classic torture that the old man was putting them through. It had only been less than twelve hours after they had returned with Iroh - fully clothed - to the ship. And yet, they had been pushed together at least four times already. Kaida was getting annoyed quickly and she could see that Zuko was on the very edge of his patience with his Uncle Iroh. They were sailing back to the fire nation. Kaida paced nervously in the middle of the deck, her hands behind her back as she watched quietly and bit down on her lip. Zuko was at the head of the ship, an hour glass in his hands as he looked ahead.

Iroh was furious. "Prince Zuko! Sailing to Fire Nation waters? This is the most foolish thing you have ever done in all of your sixteen years!" He growled, standing to the right and behind his nephew. The guard on the left seemed nervous, though he let it slide as he watched where they were headed. Zuko shook his head.

"I have no choice." He stated dryly, focus still looking through the spy glass. He didn't notice that Kaida had stopped in her pacing and was quickly advancing on him, a hand raised to slap him hard on the back of the head.

"Do you not remember what your father did to you! Do you not remember that he _banished_ you for a damned reason!" Kaida shouted at him, eyes glowing in anger and panic for the boy.

"What if we are caught, Prince Zuko?" Iroh's anger had all been taken care of with Kaida's words, so he spoke calmly. He noticed that her hand was still raised to slap him, once he turned around.

"My father will understand why I have returned. I am chasing the Avatar." Zuko stated dryly, ignoring the girl's comment about his scar. Kaida growled at the boy in front of her and brought her hand forward, as though she was going to slap him. Though Iroh caught her eye and shook his head. Growling in defeat, she turned away, eyes filled with hidden worry that she didn't want anyone to see right now.

"My brother is not the understanding type, Prince Zuko." Iroh stated dryly as Zuko turned to look between his uncle and Kaida. He shook his head quietly before turning back to the spyglass, moving it around slightly before he spotted his target.

"Helmsman! We have our heading! Push the ship to her full speeds!" He shouted up at the tower above him, lowering the spy glass and moving to dodge around Kaida, Iroh, and the guard to walk over to the middle of the ship. "Raise the catapults!" He shouted at the men who were on the deck. They quickly went below and Kaida chased after Zuko.

"Zuko. You're an idiot." She stated dryly, glaring at him with her arms crossed beneath her chest.

"Thanks, Kaida. I appreciate it." He replied, he noted that neither his uncle nor the guard had come to join them. Had Iroh had something to do with the sudden attention that Kaida put on him now? He grumbled curses about the old man under his breath as he waited for a rebuttal from the girl. Though she growled and shoved past him and stormed into the ship, leaving him standing there with quiet wonder as he stared after her. What the hell was wrong with her? He turned back to find Uncle Iroh in front of him, concern and anger in every line of the old man's face. Zuko rolled his eyes before he went to stand behind the point that the catapult would raise. A few seconds later, as if on cue, the machine arrived.

"You should go to Kaida, Zuko. She's upset."

"She'll be fine. Didn't the both of you tell me that she can take care of herself? Besides, it's probably better that she's below deck, anyway." There was silence responding the statements and Zuko watched his men load the projectile into the catapult.

"Ugh. Did you really have to get things to throw at them that smelled so bad?" The old man complained as he pulled a fan from his sleeve and fanned himself. Zuko ignored that and shot a blast of fire to the smoldering object and watched it burst into flame. Raising his arm, he waited for the right moment to give the signal.

"Ready. On my mark. Fire!" He shouted, the massive fireball flew through the air after the Avatar. However, the boy swerved his air bison out of the way just in time. Zuko cursed and then pulled his attention to what lay in front of them. Both eyes - good and bad - grew wide and he swallowed. The word 'blockade' escaped his lips in surprise. There was a double line of Fire Nation navy ships, keeping the way between Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation waters separate.

"You are still in Earth Kingdom waters, Prince Zuko. Turn back and you will not be arrested. They will be unable to do so." Though Zuko shook his head and walked back up to the head of the ship, the soldier and his uncle hot on his trail. His eyes were focused on the Avatar's bison, waiting for a movement from the twelve year old boy that would make Zuko's hunt turn the other direction.

"He's not turning around." There was a hint of dismay at his tone, though his words were strong.

"Please, Prince Zuko. If they capture you, neither Kaida and I can do nothing for you. Forget the Avatar!" Iroh urged, stepping forward closer to his nephew as the boy bowed his head and shook it slightly.

"I cannot turn away, Uncle. I'm sorry." He lifted his head and turned to the tower where the helmsman sat at the wheel. "Run the blockade!" He got a nod in response and that was all he really needed.

"At least tell Kaida what you are doing with your life." Iroh stated, following his nephew as Zuko made his way back to the middle of the ship to watch the blockade quietly. The prince shook his head.

"She shouldn't have anything to do with this. She stays below deck. If I tell her, she'll come out and she'll get hurt." Zuko stated, there was something protective in his tone that made Iroh stay planted where he was. So Zuko was worried for her safety, too.

They watched the firing of the giant fireballs, coming towards their ship but aimed for the flying bison. The ship rocked unsteadily from side to side, the fireballs hitting dangerously close to the ship in the water was not a good thing right now. Any second, that girl would be back up here and trying to get answers out of Zuko and try to dissuade him from his decision. The ship heaved as one of them hit to the immediate right of the ship, causing a large wave to crash down. Both Zuko and Iroh braced themselves on the catapult, eyes still hard and watching the blockade.

"Zuko! What the hell are you doing!" Came the enraged voice of the seventeen year old girl. She was on deck now. Zuko sighed and turned back to her just as one of the fire balls hit the back of the ship. She stumbled forward and fell onto the deck, though she had braced herself with her forearms and was now safely rolling to her side. She stood and ran to the catapult, grabbing on with a hand of her own. "What do you think you're doing? You're going to get killed!" She yelled, there were tears in her eyes and the prince couldn't stand looking at her like that. He turned back to the blockade before the engine master came to speak with him. Zuko turned his way, trying to ignore the pained face of Kaida beside him.

"What is it?"

"The engines are damaged. We need to stop and make repairs, sir!" The man's voice was urgent, but didn't deter Kaida from trying to get the attention of the prince back to her. He needed to listen to her. He had to. Though all of them knew that was not going to happen.

"No. We continue forward. Do not stop this ship." He ordered, turning back to the front and closing his eyes as his face passed in front of Kaida. That made her furious and she glared at him darkly, letting the tears overflow.

"Lady Kaida, you should go below deck." Iroh tried to reason with her but she shook her head solemnly, not trusting herself to speak. The Avatar had just gotten through the blockade and now the ships in front of them were moving closer together, intending to stop Zuko's ship at any and all costs.

"We're going to hit them." Kaida stated, not looking over to either Zuko or Iroh.

"We'll make it." Zuko's response was short and sure. Though it didn't do anything to make Kaida feel any better.

Though at the last second, the ships' engines cut with enough room left for the banished prince and his party to pass through. Zuko caught Zhao's gaze and held it with his own stare of defiance and determination. Kaida was not paying attention to anyone, she was keeping her face locked on what was going on ahead of her. She wasn't going to leave Zuko's side, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook and sink into his arms just because they had gotten through safely. And he was still here. Iroh stared after Zhao, confusion written across his face as he considered the meaning behind the Commander's actions.

They were alone in the water now, dark smoke billowing from the back of the ship quietly as they trudged along. Kaida, Iroh, and Zuko all stood on the deck of the ship. However, Kaida had separated herself from the men and stood at the opposite end of the deck, closer to the head of the ship rather than in the middle…like Iroh and Zuko did. Zuko gripped the railing tightly, his hand flexing as his thoughts ran through everything that had just occurred.

"Why didn't Zhao stop us, Uncle Iroh? Why didn't he arrest me? What's he doing?"

"He wants to follow you, Zuko." Kaida spoke for the first time in quite a while, her voice was full of pain that Zuko didn't quite understand.

"She's right, Prince Zuko. He knows that you will lead him to the ultimate prize. The Avatar." Iroh stated, eyes shifting between the teenagers quietly.

"If Zhao wants to follow our smoke, I will let him." He stated, letting go of the railing and moving to join Kaida at the prow of the boat. He strategically stepped wide and held his arms out - ready to grab her if she tried to leave and storm away again. Iroh backed up to the base of the tower deliberately, letting the two have the space they needed right now.

"You're an idiot, Zuko."

"So I've heard."

"You're going to get us all in trouble, do you realize that?" Kaida stated, turning her head the slightest toward him, watching him through the corners of her eyes. He didn't respond, so she continued on. "You're going to get yourself killed. And the rest of us are going to be either _truly_ banished like you are now, or we're going to get thrown in prison." She saw his eyes widen and she turned away from him, keeping her distance quietly, waiting for an answer.

"Then leave. Leave now on the spare boats and never turn back. Find a place of -" He was cut off by the swirling motion she made to turn toward him. Her eyes were red and puffy and he felt guilty for making her cry. He wanted to hold her now, though he didn't. He kept his distance in silence.

"Don't you see, Zuko? I can't. I…" She didn't finish as she closed her mouth and ducked around him. Though he had been ready to grab her, he let her go. He turned back to his uncle as she went to join him. Zuko's plan unfolded as he instructed the men to open the back hatch and ready the secondary ship on board.

"Come with me, Uncle Iroh and Kaida. I need to talk to you." He stated, they exchanged glances before following orders and walking after him into the ship and down into the back hatch - where the spar ship was held.

"Uncle, keep heading north. The smoke will act as the lure for Zhao, but also my cover." Iroh shook his head disapprovingly and Kaida saw the flaw in the prince's plan. It couldn't possibly work. There was no way. She stood silently as she watched Zuko board the small vessel and then disappear into the black train of smoke that was following them. Sighing heavily, she turned back to Iroh.

"It isn't going to work, is it, Iroh?" She asked, worry and panic coating her voice now. He shook his head in response and Kaida turned away, suddenly angry, and stormed back onto the deck. How could she care so much about a stupid idiot?

--

A few hours after the sun had set, Zuko had found his way back to the ship again. Kaida was the first to spot him and she immediately raced down to where the ship would board without a word. Iroh followed silently, after seeing Zuko joining them again. There was a sad smile to his face.

"You idiot!" She screamed when he hopped off the ship and went to join his uncle and old friend. All he did was glare at her silently and shove past the others.

"I failed. Don't rub it in." He stated dryly, eyeing her reaction quietly. She had known it was going to happen and yet she hadn't tried to stop him. Oh wait…she had, hadn't she? He grumbled to himself as he made his way back to his cabin, head hung in defeat. Kaida stared after him, not knowing what to say or do. She got a shove from behind by Iroh.

"Go to him, Kaida." Iroh stated. She glared at him for a second, tired of his sad attempts to get the pair of teenagers together. But after a few seconds, she realized she was right. She nodded sternly and swiftly made her way up to where his cabin was. He had locked himself inside. Sighing she knocked on the door and waited for the rejection she knew she was going to receive. However, to her surprise, the door opened and she was ushered in by the prince, pulled along by her good arm.

"I'm sorry, Zuko." She stated after he had closed the door, though he shook his head and went to sit down on the edge of his bed.

"No, Kaida. I'm sorry. I should have listened to you."

"But you didn't. You never really have." He gave a shrug to that development.

"You didn't seem to give the best advice at the time."

"I never do." She stated, moving to go sit beside him on his bed, looking forward at the wall opposite them rather than at the boy beside her.

"I'm sorry you've worried about me so much."

"I'm sorry you worry about me needlessly." He smirked and she rolled her eyes, nudging her with an elbow as he looked over at her.

"I'm not." There was a pause as he watched her, seeing the slight tint to her skin that indicated a blush and she quickly hid behind her long hair. "What were you going to say before, Kaida?" That pulled her out of her embarrassed little hiding spot and she turned to him, her eyes shining quietly.

"I couldn't possibly leave you."

"I'm sorry you can't leave."

"I'm not."


	11. Pirates

_**Author's Note :** A new chapter! About time, righ yeah, that's what I thought. Anyway, dunno what else to say about this chapter, really. Other than it's a long one, so enjoy that aspect of it. And...yeah. Read and review, please! You know I love getting reviews on my stories! Enjoy._

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike & Bryan as well as Viacom, Nick, etc. I can only lay claim to the stories I write and the characters I create of my own volition - like Kaida_

**

* * *

**

**Fire in the Skies**

_-- Pirates --_

Kaida and Zuko were on the deck, Kaida watching the teenager spar with one of the other fire benders on the ship. She watched him quietly, making mental notes on what he was doing. She didn't exactly have a reason why she did this, but she did know that it helped her in one way or another. He sent fire blast after fire blast after his opponent, most of them flying away from the ship. The prince was about to send another blast of fire when the ship suddenly turned to the starboard and he stumbled, falling into the wall of the ship. He cursed as he saw Kaida fall forward onto the deck, completely off balance from where she had been sitting.

"Kaida, you okay?" He called, glaring up at the tower were the helmsman sat steering the ship. "Our course is being changed."

Kaida looked up from where she had fallen, pushing herself up to sit on her knees - her hair was in her eyes as she glared at the boy quietly. "I'm fine, Zuko. And really? I would have had no idea that someone had just changed course to go somewhere completely needless!" She snapped, standing up with Zuko's help quietly as the two made their way up to the top of the tower.

"Mutiny!" Zuko stated as Kaida shoved past him into the room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"There were no orders to change course!" The helmsman had spun round to look at the two angry teenagers, slight fear in his eyes as they darted between the teenagers and the old Uncle Iroh playing Pai Sho. The old man moved a tile on his game board and shook his head.

"Actually, someone did. And do not worry, Prince Zuko or Lady Kaida, it was for the utmost importance. I assure you." He stated with a slight nod.

Kaida looked at Iroh expectantly, while Zuko asked the question that was forming in her mind. "Is it about the Avatar?" The boy's voice was filled with eager anticipation.

Her heart sunk at the shake of the head that Uncle gave. Zuko straightened out, though there was a glare on his face. He growled slightly and looked expectantly at the old man. "Actually, it is much more urgent. It is about my loss of a Pai Sho tile. The Lotus Tile, to be exact." Both teenagers' jaws dropped open as they heard the words spoken. Zuko was confused of most and Kaida was the first to speak, her voice filled with confusion.

"Lo…lotus tile?"

"Yes, for my Pai Sho game. It seems that I have lost it. You see, most people think that it is terribly insignificant. But they do not see the large impact that it can have in a simple game of Pai Sho. It is essential for the strategy that I play with." Zuko blinked at the end of his uncle's speech.

"You really mean to tell me that you changed our course for a stupid lotus tile?" His voice held the annoyed tone that it usually did when his uncle did something that the prince found stupid. Iroh nodded impatiently before answering.

"Yes. You are like most people, of course. You do not understand its hidden value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port. I can get on with my life if they only have the lotus tile! Hopefully they will!" Zuko growled again and blew smoke from his nostrils, working hard to control his anger. Though he lifted his head and let out a breath of fire, filling the helms tower with smoke for a few moments. Kaida coughed as she made her way to the door, opening it and sticking her head out to get air to her lungs.

"It is a good thing that I have such an understanding nephew, Prince Zuko." Iroh stated, smiling with a nod. Kaida snickered softly from her position with her head outside the door. The smoke slowly seeped out, clearing the room once again.

They pulled into the port not long after Kaida and Zuko returned to the deck. Zuko spent the few minutes it took them to reach the little village fuming to Kaida about how this little trip of his uncle's was going to cost them another chance at the Avatar. Kaida listened patiently, nodding, shaking her head, and shrugging when it was appropriate. She had grown used to his rants and ravings over the years that she had known him.

She smiled softly as she walked alongside Zuko and Iroh, hands stuffed in the sleeves of her red and gold kimono. Iroh was frowning slightly, but there was still the hint of a smile upon his face. Zuko's scowl grew deeper and deeper with every second that passed.

"We have searched every merchant here, Prince Zuko and Lady Kaida. There is not a single lotus tile here."

"Well, good thing we stopped then, isn't it?" Zuko stated, turning to shout at his uncle. "This stop was a complete waste for everyone!"

"Actually, no." The elder man's voice was calm and neutral, unfazed by his nephew's shouting. "Don't you remember, Prince Zuko? I always say that if you cannot find what you were looking for, it is always better to find something that you weren't looking for at a wonderful bargain!" He grinned and motioned behind him, where a few of the soldiers from the ship carried armloads of random junk that Iroh had purchased. Zuko turned to look at one of the soldiers, who was carrying a large brass instrument back to the ship.

"You bought a sumki horn?" Kaida asked, speaking at last.

Iroh nodded. "Of course! We are in need of one for music night!"

"All we need now is some woodwinds." Kaida stated, smiling softly.

Nodding again, Iroh grinned at the girl. "Of course!" Zuko sighed audibly as the three took off after the soldiers back toward the ship. Iroh stopped halfway there, turning towards a pirate ship quietly. "This place looks promising!" He stated, grinning broadly and heading off in that direction. Kaida sighed and Zuko raised a hand to smack himself in the forehead. This was really getting ridiculous. The little group of three made their way into the belly of the ship, where all the merchandise was held. Iroh walked around, gazing at all the little treasures around the shelves. The captain of the ship had busied himself with talking to Kaida now.

"'Ello Miss. What brings you here?" He asked, smiling slyly. Kaida opened her mouth to talk, she was used to speaking to men older than her with that tone of voice in their words. It was one of seduction. However, Zuko had pulled her away and back towards his uncle without a word.

"What, Zuko?" She asked, speaking under her breath as she pretended to be interested in a knife that was in front of her.

"I didn't like the way that he was speaking to you."

"Lady Kaida! Look at this! Wouldn't is make a wonderful addition to the galley?" Iroh stated, pulling the teenager's attention to a carved monkey that had red jewels for eyes.

"I can take care of myself, thank you. I'm quite used to that." Kaida stated, ignoring the old man for the moment. Zuko glared at her from the side, though she continued to look forward. "If you worry about people like that, then keep a hold of me…" She dared, a smirk upon her lips. The prince sighed and shook his head.

"The Water Tribe girl and the little monk she was traveling with. We lost them." A voice from behind caused the teenagers to spark interest. They both spun around, though Kaida kept her eyes averted from the captain. Zuko, however, walked over to the two pirates - the captain and another - that were talking.

"This bald monk. Did he have an arrow on his head?" He asked, interest in his voice.

The two pirates nodded. "Yes, they stole a water bending scroll. What's it to you?" The captain stated, wary of the boy that had so previously stolen the pretty girl away.

"I can help you find them." Zuko stated softly, smiling. Both Kaida and Iroh had joined him, though they stood behind him rather beside him.

--

They were on the ship now, not long after Zuko had talked the pirate captain to come with him. There were pirates dotting the deck of the ship, so Kaida had chosen to stay below, in her quarters. She sat at her table, an open scroll in front of her as she wrote down the words and emotions stuck in her head.

_Honestly, why does he have to be a jerk about it? No…maybe jerk isn't the word. He's being stubborn. Yes. Why does he have to be so stubborn? It's useless. Damned near everyone knows. Why should we have to hide it? Ugh, forget it. I have decided that it is useless to question the actions of the male species. I'll only end up wasting my time on questions that will never be answered._

_Those stupid pirates are aboard the ship. So I'm getting the feeling that Zuko just doesn't care anymore what it takes to find that stupid Avatar. All he cares about anymore is his honor. If only he knew that…_

Her writings were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Yes?" She stated, laying her brush down and turning towards her door.

"Kaida, we're ready to go. Are you coming with us?" It was Zuko's voice, which brought a slight smile to her face. She got up and went over to open the door, pulling it open enough so that she could poke her head out.

"You really want me around all those pirates?" She stated, watching him quietly. The prince sighed and shook his head.

"No. I get the hint. Stay safe, alright?" He stated, smiling softly. He turned to leave but was stopped by Kaida grabbing at his arm.

"Hey. Get back here." She stated, smiling softly as she slipped through the door and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her lips to his softly. Zuko in turn wrapped his arms around her waist. "Good luck." She stated as she pulled away and slipped back into her room.

She watched from her door as Zuko left, a couple more pirates following him. They were headed towards the other, smaller ship. The one that Zuko had used on the Solstice. Iroh was going with him, so Kaida was stuck on her own on this ship. Save for the other soldiers. Though all the same. She went up to the deck soon after the last pirate had found his way down to the boat. Alright, now to get back to being alone for the next few hours.

--

So Kaida was staying behind. Good. Very good. He didn't want her to get mixed with those pirates. Especially after what had happened at their ship. Zuko didn't know exactly why, but he felt a strong pang of jealousy when that pirate bastard spoke to Kaida like that. Well…not jealousy. It was more like protection. Like he had to protect her. And he was jealous that she was going to actually respond to that. That just made his blood boil. He blew a steady breath through his nostrils as he walked down to where the extra boat was held.

It wasn't long before they continued going up river, the pirates on their boat and Zuko, Iroh, and the few soldiers they had taken on theirs. "Why are we taking the river and staying on the banks? Aren't they going to be on land?" The captain called, causing Zuko to roll his eyes and glare at the man. Pirates.

"What did they take, again?"

"A water bending scroll…but I-" The captain still hadn't caught on.

"They'll be on the river then. Practicing water bending." The man looked at him in disbelief. Well, it was more like confusion and then disbelief as he realized that he had just been outsmarted by a sixteen year old boy. Bloody idiot. That was what he got for hanging around pirates, though.

Sighing, Zuko turned back to paying attention to the banks than the smelling man beside him. Night was falling. The prince hoped that they would run into those little brats soon. He was getting terribly annoyed with this looking and finding nothing. It was so unsatisfying.

His honor was getting more and more tarnished with every second wasted here.

There was a sound of moving water that hadn't reached their ears yet. Water that was being manually moved. There was even flickers of whatever tricks were being performed from behind the edge of the water reeds. They stopped on the banks as they heard the remnants of frustrated cursing reach their ears.

Zuko, Iroh, and the captain were the last to get off the boats. There was the sound of a struggle up ahead as the pirates captured the girl. Damn. So it wasn't the Avatar. Well…what good was that? Oh wait…the Avatar would come back for the girl. And when he did…

A sly smirk broke against his features as he approached the girl from behind, watching as she broke free and stumbled backwards. Right into his arms. Oh, this was perfect.

"Let go of me!" She protested frantically

"I'll save you." He stated as he leaned to speak in her ear, wrapping his arms around her forearms.

--

He was holding the necklace to the younger girl's neck now, bending around the stump they had tied her to so that he could speak to her clearly.

"I can help you restore something you've lost. This necklace. If you help me restore something I have lost. My honor." Snaked through his teeth as the girl in front of him gasped. She wasn't expecting him to have her necklace, he could tell that by the way she asked where he had gotten it.

"Well, if you're thinking that I stole it, you're wrong. I found it." He stated, holding it tighter around her neck in the threat of placing it around her neck. If Kaida were there, she would have kicked him. She would have tackled him and punched him. He didn't understand the importance of that necklace and the way he was holding it to that little girl's neck that she did. But Kaida wasn't there. So she couldn't scold him and keep him from doing anything stupid.

He pulled the necklace away and walked around the tree to face her once again. "Now. Where is the Avatar?"

--

In the end, they left with no Avatar. And they left with no boat to get back to the ship with. So, Uncle Iroh and Prince Zuko walked their way down the bank back to the dock. When they boarded the ship, they found Kaida dancing with her Sais. Well…it wasn't exactly dancing. More like sparing with the air, but her movements were so graceful that it was more like dancing than anything else. She stopped and turned to them after she realized that the two men in her life came aboard.

"I'm guessing that it did not go well." It was not a question, but a statement. She could tell by the lack of the Avatar and the somber looks upon their faces. She smiled politely as she walked over to join them. "What happened to the boat?"

Zuko groaned and walked away, off to below deck and probably to his room. Kaida looked over to Iroh, brow raised in question. The old man simply shook his head. "It is advised not to ask, Lady Kaida." He stated before walking off as well.

The girl stood there, slightly confused, as she held her head cocked to the right. She blinked a few times before sighing and brushing it off her thoughts. She needed to practice with her Sais for now. That was more important than worrying about a lost boat that really had no purpose.


	12. Lasting Tensions

_**Author's Note :** New chapter. Enjoy. Read and review, please._

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike & Bryan as well as Viacom, Nick, etc. I can only lay claim to the stories I write and the characters I create of my own volition - like Kaida_

**Fire in the Skies**

_-- Lasting Tensions --_

_There is a storm coming. Both Iroh and I know it. Zuko knows it, too. Though he's being as stubborn as any man on a mission and insists that we stay in the water._

_If getting everyone killed is what it takes for him to realize that he was wrong, then so be it. I'm tired of tiring myself with trying to get him to listen to me or his uncle. It's ridiculous._

_One thing is for sure. He IS his father's son. That prince is just as stubborn, hard-headed, and jerk-faced as his father. And even though I love him, I have to admit that to myself when I get frustrated with him._

_He's just like Ozai in some ways. And that's what scares me most. However, he is Ursa's son. That woman has so much love, surely some of it has passed down to him. I can feel it whenever I'm around him. He changes. He's more…willing. However, he isn't fully submissive. I don't blame him. Knowing that someone has so much control over you is a scary thing._

_Especially if that person finds out about it._

_Though luckily for him, I am not his father. And I will not take advantage of that._

_I still marvel at the fact that man had so much to do with the current state of Zuko's mind. That man didn't understand how fragile it is. He still doesn't. Poor thing._

_Determination has corrupted that boy. That's one thing for certain._

Kaida dropped her brush as a knocking came to her door, interrupting her from her brooding and writing. "One moment." She called to whomever it was that stood outside her door. Quickly washing her brush, Kaida left the parchment lying open so the ink could dry. She then stood and pivoted, walking over to her door to open it and find that the one behind disturbing her peace was old Uncle Iroh. "Oh! Iroh! It's lovely to see you."

"Sorry for disturbing you, Lady Kaida. But I need your help to sway Zuko. The storm is fast approaching." He asked, concern in his voice as Kaida followed him out into the hall, closing the door behind her.

"I can do that for you, Iroh. No worries." She stated, smiling softly as she led the way up to the deck. She took her place beside Zuko, who was looking through a looking glass towards the distance. "You know, Zuko…the storm is coming. Can't you smell it?"

"No. There is no storm coming. The weather is perfect."

"Yes, but -"

"Are you out of your mind? There isn't a cloud in sight." Kaida raised her brow after he cut her off. She then rolled her eyes and twisted, leaning against the metal railing, looking over her shoulder towards the direction that they were sailing.

"The storm is coming from the north, Prince Zuko." Iroh stated, coming up on the other side of the Fire Prince.

"Then we should go southwest." Kaida added, looking back to the two men. Iroh nodded at her in agreement.

"Yes, we should."

"No. The Avatar is traveling to the north. We must follow him." Kaida had a spit of anger flowing through her as she realized what he was saying.

"Zuko! You have got to be kidding me! Are you joking? Are you crazy? Do you find this fun or sick or something?" She burst out, anger flowing through her veins as she stepped closer to the boy she so desperately told herself she loved.

"Think of the safety of the crew, Prince Zuko." Came the calming voice of Iroh. Zuko had hardly flinched when Kaida burst out at him. He had been expecting something like that from her. And then the statement from his uncle just did no more to change his mind.

Finding and capturing the Avatar was his mission. He had to make that priority.

"The safety of the crew does not matter." He stated, turning around to his uncle so that he didn't have to face Kaida. He regretted what he had said, however, as he saw the Lieutenant stop in his tracks on the deck. His eyes narrowed as best they could and he looked down at his uncle. "The crew's safety is not a priority until we find the Avatar." He corrected, brushing past his uncle and the Lieutenant to go into the ship.

Kaida stood there, still fuming and angry. She could not believe the audacity that boy had. Was he really so selfish? She watched as Iroh went to join the man who had been completely screwed over by Zuko's little mini-speech about the crew not being important.

"He didn't mean that, Lieutenant Jee. Prince Zuko is just worked up." She heard Iroh speaking. Shaking her head and walking up towards them, she showed her disagreement.

"No. He meant it. He cares more about that stupid Avatar than anything else."

"It -"

"Hurts? You have no idea, Lieutenant Jee." She stated, looking over at him quietly.

It didn't take long for them to run into the storm after that. Kaida had stayed on the deck, doing more of that dancing with her Sais. It was easier to loose herself and her emotions when she was focused on her weapons of choice. Zuko had come up to watch her not long after she had started. There was a scowl upon his face, but it morphed into the slightest of smiles when he saw what she was doing. It turned back into a scowl as she stopped to stare at the storm ahead. The Lieutenant and four others were on deck now, watching the storm that they were headed for. There was a smirk on Jee's face that unsettled the prince. "Huh. Looks like your uncle and girlfriend were right about the storm."

Kaida turned to look over her shoulder, eye brow raised. "I'm not his girlfriend." She stated before Zuko could say anything. She caught the man speaking under his breath that she was when Zuko stood and approached the man, his mouth open to protest. However, he was interrupted once again. This time by Iroh. "It was merely a lucky guess, Lieutenant Jee."

Zuko got his chance now to speak. He stood in front of the man who had spoken out. "It would be wise to learn some respect, Lieutenant. Or I will have to teach it to you." Kaida's heart sunk as he spoke the words. He was exactly like his father. It was ridiculous how alike they seemed right now to her. She stepped forward, ready to stop either one of them from doing something stupid. Zuko then proceeded to walk past the man, who was growing more fierce with anger every second.

"Oh, like you know about respect! Look at the way you talk to everybody around here! From your crew who works so hard to your own uncle and friend who deserve nothing but respect! You know nothing about respect! You're a selfish, spoiled prince who cares for no one but himself! But what should I expect from you?" Kaida smacked her forehead as she heard the words come out of the Lieutenant's mouth. She pulled her hand down to watch as Zuko stopped in the middle of walking away. The prince turned around and had "hurt" written all over his face. Kaida sighed heavily before she took another few steps forward as the men took to fire bending stances.

The two men approached, crossing their fists in the classic way that any fire bending combat began. Kaida felt her heart sink farther and farther into the sea below them as she watched the happenings unfold. There were flames flying in front of her eyes and she could do nothing to stop it. Someone was going to end up getting burned. And Kaida had that looming suspicion that it would be Zuko. Her Zuko would get hurt again. She didn't want that to happen. Not ever again. Though only two spires of flame came from the two men. For Iroh quickly put a stop to everything. Her heart swelled with relief at this happening.

"Enough! We are all tired, I'm sure a bowl of noodles will make everyone feel better." As he finished speaking, Kaida turned and headed back toward the prow of the boat, gripping the sides of the boat and staring at the storm above their heads. Her face held something that looked like pain, anger, disappointment, and slight depression all mixed together. Her hair whipped around her as she heard the heavy huffs of the two fighting males and the sound of footsteps up towards her.

She knew that Zuko was behind her as soon as she heard the footsteps. He stood behind her, not saying a word. When he continued to stay silent, Kaida turned around. There were tears forming in her eyes and she glared at the boy before her. Instead of speaking, she shoved past him and walked into the ship, trying her hardest to hold herself together before she got to her room.

Slamming the door behind her, Kaida leaned against the metal and slid down. Her knees were held against her chest, arms around her knees, and face buried in her knees.

--

Iroh was the one to coax Kaida from her room. And that was with the temptation of food and not having to run into that royal brat for it. It was raining terribly outside and everyone was below deck for safety. Including Zuko. The prince had, apparently, locked himself in his room for the time being.


	13. Behind the Scar

_**Author's Note :** Another chapter. This one has quite a few flash backs in it. Not sure how I did with it, but hopefully I did okay. Enjoy. Read and review, please._

_**Disclaimer :** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Mike & Bryan as well as Viacom, Nick, etc. I can only lay claim to the stories I write and the characters I create of my own volition - like Kaida._

**Fire in the Skies**

_-- Behind the Scar --_

"I am tired of chasing that Avatar of his and following orders of a spoiled prince!" Lieutenant Jee's voice reached Kaida's ears before she and Iroh walked into the small room where everyone was eating. However, it wasn't much people in there yet. Just the Lieutenant Zuko had completely screwed over earlier and a few others. "Who does Prince Zuko think he is?" He stated, at this point, Kaida sighed and followed Iroh inside. She was tired of dealing with the confrontations that "spoiled prince" of hers created with the ship and various other people along their way.

"You really want to know, Lieutenant Jee?" She asked, looking at him at where he sat around a pit fire and a bubbling pot of food. Everyone around the pit fire stood, paying respect to the near-princess and the retired general that accompanied her.

"Lady Kaida! General Iroh! We -" The man defended, worry stretching across his older face.

"It's fine." Iroh cut in, before he could have a chance to apologize. "May we join you?" He asked, though Kaida looked stiffly over at Iroh, wariness in her eyes. She didn't know if they should, considering what they had walked in on hearing.

"Of course, sir!" Replied Jee, making Kaida sigh inwardly and receive a nudge in the ribs from the old man beside her. A glare was exchanged between them as they moved to go sit around the pit fire.

"I know it may be hard, but try to understand, Lieutenant Jee, that Prince Zuko is a -" It was Kaida who was cut off this time by Iroh, holding his hand up.

"Manners, Lady Kaida." He stated before turning back to the men. Kaida caught them holding back snickers behind their hands as she reached for a bowl of rice, a slight glare in her eyes. "Now. As Kaida was saying." Iroh continued, happy that Kaida was not going to be a problem now that she had food. "My nephew is a complicated young man. He has been through a lot."

Kaida turned her gaze towards the fire, trying to zone out all that was being said around her. She didn't want to relive the terrible moment when her Zuko was completely screwed over for life. She sighed, only looking at the fire made her envision everything all over again.

_"Zuko, you can't come. The only reason I was invited was because I'm old enough."_

_"But I'm not much younger than you are, Kaida!" They sat together in Kaida's room, it was smaller than that of everyone else who lived in the palace. Though the young girl didn't mind. She didn't need a large amount of space to be happy. Zuko sat on her bed while Kaida sat on the ground, legs crossed and bending forward over her legs to stretch slightly._

_"You're thirteen, Zuko."_

_"Yeah, and you're only fourteen! What's the big difference between us when we're only a year apart?"_

_"Iroh said it was because I was more mature. I could handle it better without opening my mouth." She stated, coming up from the stretch, to sit with her back straight and green eyes staring at the prince on the corner of her bed._

_"I'm mature, too! Besides, you hate war!" He objected, making his best friend roll her eyes._

_"Right. Tell that to anyone and I'm sure they'll think so too. You can't defend your maturity, Zuko. It's more of a…right of passage, I suppose. And yes, I do hate war. But what's so wrong with going to a war meeting? Iroh says it'll be good for me."_

_"But it's a war meeting!"_

_"I know." She shrugged. "Come on, I'm going to be late. Would you like to accompany me there?"_

_"Yeah…I guess…" He stated, a rejected tone in his voice. Kaida smiled as she spun up to a standing position, moving to hug her friend. She was so unaware that Zuko was about to make the worst mistake possible of his life._

"I couldn't believe that Prince Zuko was asking me if he could join. At the time, I thought nothing of it. Lady Kaida was going, so why couldn't he? I understood where he was coming from." Iroh continued, making Kaida sigh and return her attention to everything else. The men around them looked on in interest, bowls of half-eaten food growing cold in their hands. Then again…she wasn't exactly getting a move on with the eating, either. Smirking, she took another bite before going back to listening to the story while recalling it in her head through the flames in front of her.

_"Prince Zuko, what is wrong?" Iroh's voice sounded behind them as Kaida watched the entrance to the war chamber, nervous and quiet._

_"Can't I go to the war meeting with you and Kaida? She's a girl and she doesn't even care about the war!" The prince protested, bringing Kaida's attention to him when he said her name._

_"She may not care, but she has matured beyond her years. You, nephew, are too young. Lady Kaida will understand the matters of what is going on with the war far better than you will."_

_"But if I am to rule this country one day, don't you think I should come along to learn as much as I can?" A sigh escaped Iroh's lips quietly as he was won over by his nephew._

_"Fine. You may come. But you must not speak. The war chamber is not a place to offend people. And these old men can be quite sensitive."_

_"Thank you, Uncle!" The prince bowed and Iroh placed a hand on both of the young teenagers' shoulders and guided them through to the war chamber._

"They were going to use a brand new division as a distraction to a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion. While the new division was getting slaughtered, a stronger division would come around from the rear and defeat them that way." Iroh continued, making Kaida look away from the flames and over at him, waiting for more of what she already knew.

"Zuko broke his promise to me and spoke. He protested this plan and, although he was right, it was not his place to speak out against the one who proposed this plan. There were consequences beyond anyone's control."

"He said that they were betraying soldiers that were completely loyal to our country and loved and defended us." Kaida stated, speaking for the first time since she had sat down. She sighed and took another bite of her food, noticing it had gone cold in her memories. She didn't really mind, nor could she help the memories from distracting her when that's all that was being talked about around her.

_"I'm glad you're here. I thought you had left already. I wanted to walk you there." Kaida stated, a sad look across her features as she looked down at the boy she was so fond of. He hugged her and she bent down to hug him back, a tear escaping her eyes before she stood and wiped it away. The two continued to walk along in silence, slowing as they grew closer and closer to the arena. Kaida chewed on her lower lip as they reached the entrance. Iroh was there, waiting for them. Zuko went ahead, entering the Agni Kai arena. Iroh and Kaida followed quietly, nervous and scared for what would become of their prince. They found their seats in the first row with frowns upon their faces next to a grinning Zhao and an anticipated Azula. The pair watched quietly as the prince begged and pleaded with his father for mercy. They all knew what his fate was to be, however._

_"I won't fight you." Zuko cried out. Kaida's eyes held tears in them, waiting to spill over as she lost the only one that was really keeping her at the palace. The only one she cared about anymore. A chill ran up and down her spine as Ozai laughed whole heartedly, no mercy was going to come from the man._

_"You need to learn respect, Prince Zuko! And pain and suffering shall be your teacher!" He shouted, sending a blast of flame at his son._

A scream resonated itself inside Kaida's mind as she looked away from the fire, eyes held tightly shut. "I turned away." Was all Iroh said, mimicking Kaida and his words by looking away from the flames and the other men around the fire pit. There was silence as Kaida held back her tears, hands moving to place hair in front of her face. She didn't want these men to see her cry. The only people she had cried in front of were her mother, Ursa, Zuko, and Iroh. Those were the only four she could trust with it and be assured that they would not think her weak or too sensitive.

"I…I always thought that Prince Zuko was a training accident." Lieutenant Jee was the one to break the silence. Kaida shook her head sadly, turning her head to look down at the floor and her feet, tears falling quietly through closed eyes.

"There was no accident." She stated, voice shaking.

"After the duel, Fire Lord Ozai said that, by refusing to fight, Zuko was weak and shameful. As a result, he was banished and sent on a quest to retrieve the Avatar." Iroh cut in, turning to look back at the men before him, pretending to ignore the fact that Kaida was crying beside him. "If he returns with the Avatar, he may, once again, receive his honor."

"That's why he's so obsessed then, isn't it?" Kaida gave a brief nod at the Lieutenant's question. "Capturing the Avatar is Prince Zuko's only chance for things returning to normal."

"Things will never return to normal. But the Avatar gives my nephew hope. And that is what is truly important." Iroh stated with a nod. He looked over at Kaida and frowned. "Perhaps we should leave. It is late." Kaida nodded and stood, allowing the bowl that had been sitting in her lap to fall to the floor. She didn't care. She was thankful for Iroh's escape route out of this. He even faked a yawn for her. She walked silently out of the room while Iroh bid everyone good bye.

There was a crack of lighting and a sound of something hitting the ship. Kaida jumped as the ship started to rock, cursing slightly as everyone came from out of the room she had just left and ran past her. Wiping away tears from her face, Iroh joined her and led her down to the deck of the ship. Zuko was there, he had gotten there not long before everyone else had.

A large wave knocked the ship off balance again, drenching those on deck with sea water. Zuko turned to his uncle and opened his mouth to speak before another wave hit the ship. "Where were we hit?"

"I don't know!" Lieutenant Jee shouted over the roaring of the thunder and the sea.

"Look!" Iroh stated, pointing up at the bridge tower. There was a man dangling off the railing, fear rippled across his face as he swayed between the brink of falling and staying put.

"The helmsman!" Kaida and Zuko both shouted over the roaring of the waves. Another bolt of lighting struck the water not far from the boat. Zuko and Lieutenant Jee, along with other soldiers, began climbing the ladder to reach the man in distress. As he fell, Zuko grabbed the man's hand, Lieutenant Jee helping him back onto the safety of the ladder before they all climbed down.

Iroh had just finished redirecting a bolt of lighting when the prince and other men joined he and Kaida. There was a familiar bellowing sound from above that was not thunder. They all looked up, seeing the Avatar's flying bison flying over head. "The Avatar…" Zuko stated, though underneath the roars of everything else going on around them, it sounded as if he was whispering.

"What do you want to do, sir?" Came the voice of Lieutenant Jee behind them. They all turned towards the man, wondering what the sudden change of heart was towards the prince. However Kaida had a brief idea of what may have been the cause of it.

Zuko was the last to turn to the man he had previously confronted, his face held consideration and slight confusion as he thought about the possibilities of what to do. "Let him go. We have to get to safety." He stated, turning away from the Avatar quietly. Iroh grinned at him and Kaida smiled softly, watching him quietly.

"To the eye of the storm, then." Iroh stated, still grinning at the change his nephew had just made. The crew scattered, getting to their places in order to redirect the ship to the safety of the eye.

--

It didn't take long for them to get to the safety from the storm that the eye held. The wind died down nearly as soon as they entered the lone tower of light through the dark fortress that was created by the storm. The rain had lightened up as well, now just drizzling. Kaida stood, leaning forward against the railing of the ship, staring down at the sea below her. Zuko and Iroh stood back on the deck, Zuko watching Kaida while Iroh watched the sky above.

"Uncle?" Zuko stated, causing the old man to look at his nephew. "I'm sorry…" Iroh smiled softly, placing a hand on the prince's shoulder.

"Your apology is accepted, Prince Zuko. But it is not I who you should be apologizing to." He stated, nodding over at Kaida. Zuko sighed and nodded, biting down on his lower lip as he watched her quietly.

"You're right…" He stated before advancing towards the girl he had angered so many other times before. Thoughts of why they always fought snaked their way through his mind - no matter how hard he tried to hold them back. Kaida stay put when Zuko stood next to her, only moving to look away from him and off towards the direction that the ship was headed. "Kaida…I'm…"

"You're what, Zuko? Sorry? I'm sure you are." She stated, her voice was cold and had a scolding edge to it. It reminded him of when he would get in trouble with his mother. He didn't understand the anger she had just forced onto him and it caused his level of calm to fall a little.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He stated, it was as though she was accusing him of something that he didn't do. Then again, he didn't exactly know why she was so upset with him.

Shaking her head, Kaida looked back down into the water before she replied. "Zuko, you have no idea how much you hurt me today, do you? That stupid fight. Your stupid words. Your stupid, idiot self that comes up with ideas that could potentially get us all killed." It was then that she turned to look at him, her eyes were still slightly red and puffy from having cried earlier and her hair moved stiffly along with her movements, still dripping water. "You scare me so badly sometimes, it isn't even funny. I don't know whether or not to yell at you right now or thank the spirits that you're still alive." She waited for Zuko to say something, but he remained silent. He was clearly not getting it. Sighing, she shook her head again and stood up straight, watching him quietly. "Look. If you want me to forgive you, then stop putting yourself in situations that can get you hurt worse than you already are. I don't want that threat of losing you again. I almost had once. Three years ago. And then again, when you fought Zhao. And earlier today. I am asking you. Pleading you to stop."

There was silence between them for a moment before he stepped closer to her. "I'll stop, for you. But you know how I am, Kaida…I -"

"Promise me, Zuko." She stated, receiving a sigh in response.

"I can't make any promise I can't keep. But I will try my hardest." He stated. She averted her eyes away from his, thinking about his promise. Or lack there of.

"Fine. I forgive you." She finally stated after a short reluctant silence. She looked back at him and smiled softly, moving to wrap her arms around him. He did the same and held her close.

"I'm sorry, Kaida."


End file.
